V 


GIFT  OF 
Thomas   H.    Means 


m  : 


\       ••*  *• 


G  A  R  D  E  N I N  G  F  0  R 


A   GUIDE   TO   THE    SUCCESSFUL   CULTIVATION 


OF  THE 


MARKET  AND  FAMILY  GARDEN 


ENTIRELY  NEW  AND  GREATLY  ENLARGED. 


BY 

PETER    HENDERSON, 

JERSEY  CITY  HEIGHTS,  N.  J. 


ILLUSTEATED  WITH  NUMEBOUS  NEW  E1TOKAVINGS, 


NEW    YORK: 

0.   JUDD    CO.,   DAVID    W.   JUDD,    PRES'T, 

751    BROADWAY. 

1887. 


dus£ 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1886,  by  the 

O.   JUDD  CO., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction  ..  vii 

Preface  to  Second  Edition x 

Preface  to  Third  Edition xi 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Men  Fitted  for  the  Business  of  Gardening 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Amount  of  Capital  Required  and  Working  Force  per  Acre 17 

CHAPTER  III. 
Profits  of  Market  Gardening.. 20 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Location,  Situation  and  Laying  Out 23 

CHAPTER  V. 
Soil,  Drainage  and  Preparation . 25 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Manures 33 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Use  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames--.' 44 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Formation  and  Management  of  Hot-Beds 56 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Forcing-Pits  for  Greenhouses  - 63 

CHAPTER  X. 
Wide  Greenhouses  for  Forcing  Vegetable  Crops 73 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Seeds  and  Seed  Raising 89 

(in) 


678995 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Use  of  the  Feet  in  Sowing  and  Planting 96 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
How,  When  and  Where  to  Sow  Seeds 103 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Transplanting.. 114 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Vegetables— Their  Varieties  and  Cultivation 117 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

When  to  Sow  and  Plant  in  the  Southern  States 811 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Packing  Vegetables  for  Shipping 316 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Preservation  of  Vegetables  in  Winter 317 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Insects 319 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Culture  of  Small  Fruits 325 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Implements 344 

Monthly  Calendar 359 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Asparagus  Beetle  . . 128 

Asparagus,  Manner  of  Planting  .123 

Drains,  Board 31 

Flat  Stone 30 

Rubble 30 

Tile,  Horseshoe 29 

Forcing-pits,  Heated  by  Flue.  71 
Forcing-pits,  Heated  by  Water 

Pipes 64 

Greenhouse  Heated  by  Flue  - .  86 

End  Section 87 

Greenhouse  for  Forcing  Vege- 
tables..--  --.  73 

Cross  Section 74 

Glazing,  Improved  Method  of  75 

IMPLEMENTS. 

Asparagus  Buncher 355 

Asparagus  Knife 355 

Dibber- 356 

Drill,    Wheel-hoe,    Cultivator 

and  Plow  Combined 354 

Fork,  Digging 346 

Garden  Line  Reel 355 

Harrow,  Acme 348 

Disc. 849 

Garden 346 

Triangular  A djustable 347 

Hoe    and    Cultivator,    Horse, 

Planet  Jr . 357 

Double- wheel 354 

Prong 350 

Scuffle  350 

Horseradish  Grater 356 

Marker,  Double —  352 

Rapp's  Adjustable 352 

Plow,  Miner's  Subsoil -  -  345 

Roland  Chilled -  344 

Skeleton 347 

Slip  Share  for 345 

V 


Rake,  Steel 350 

Roller,  Garden.... 351 

Spade,  Ames  First  Quality 346 

Pump,  Force,  Douglas 66 

Straw-mat,  Making  a 61 

SMALL  FRUITS. 

Blackberry,  Kittatinny 335 

Wilson _  335 

Gooseberry,  Houghton's  Seed- 
ling  340 

Grape,  Niagara 341 

Raspberry,  Cuthbert 337 

Gregg _ 338 

Hansell   338 

Strawberry,  Jersey  Red 331 

Sharpless 332 

The  Jewel 333 

The  Henderson 329 

VEGETABLES,   VARIETIES  OF  : 

Artichoke,  Green  Globe 129 

Jerusalem 130 

Bean,  Earliest  Red  Valentine  .  133 

Golden  Wax 135 

Lima,  Jersey  Extra  Early.  137 

Beet,  Egyptian  Turnip 140 

Beet  ..-- 140 

Eclipse 140 

Long  Smooth  Blood 141 

Borecole,  German  Greens 143 

Brussels  Sprouts 146 

Cabbage,  American  Drumhead 

Savoy 167 

Early  Jersey  Wakefield- . .  162 
Henderson's    Early    Sum- 
mer   . 164 

Late  Flat  Dutch 166 

Carrot,  Danver's 172 

Long  Red  Stump-rooted-.  172 
Orange  Improved  . . . 172 


VI 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Cauliflower,Hen<lerson's  Early 
Snowball 168 

Celery  after  Handling 177 

Earthed  up 178 

Stored  for  Winter 181 

Henderson's  Golden  Dwarf  185 
Henderson's  Half  Dwarf..  188 
White  Plume 186 

Celeriac 188 

Dwarf  Apple-shaped 190 

Corn,  Sweet,  Marblehead 198 

Minnesota 198 

StowelPs  Evergreen 198 

Cucumber,  Early  Russian 303 

Gherkin 303 

Improved  White  Spine  -  -  -  303 

Egg  Plant,  Black  Pekin 305 

New  York  Improved 305 

Endive,  Green  Curled 307 

Horseradish 311 

Set 3C9 

Kohlrabi 313 

Leek,  Musselburg 314 

Lettuce,  Black  Seeded  Simpson  330 

Early  Curled  Simpson 319 

New  York 333 

Paris  White  Cos. 333 

Salamander   331 

Melon.  Musk,  Baltimore 339 

Golden  Netted  Gem 338 

Hackensack 338 

Montreal  Market 329 

Melon,  Water,  Icing 333 

Scaly  Bark 333 

Striped  Gypsy 231 

Mushrooms 235 

Onion,  Extra  Early  Flat  Bed     251 


Onion,  Giant  Rocca 353 

Large  Red  Wethersfield  - .  251 
Southport    Large    Yellow 

Globe  ..... 253 

White  Portugal 353 

White  Tripoli 354 

Yellow  Globe  Danvers 253 

Parsley,  Emerald 356 

Pea,  American  Wonder 363 

First  of  All 360 

Stratagem 263 

Potato,  Clark's  No.  1 269 

Empire  State 368 

Perfect  Peachblow 370 

Radish,  Beckert's  Chartier....  276 
Early  Round  Dark  Red...  277 

French  Breakfast 277 

Long  Scarlet  Short-top  . . .  275 

White-topped  Turn  ip 3  77 

Yellow  Summer  Turnip  . .  377 

Rhubarb,  St.  Martin's 381 

Salsify... 282 

Sea  Kale  284 

Spinach,  Long  Standing 289 

Norfolk  Savoy-leaved 288 

Thick-leaved 289 

Squash,  Essex  Hybrid 293 

Hubbard 294 

White  Bush  Scalloped....  393 

Tomato,  Mikado 303 

Perfection 303 

Turnip,  Extra  Early  Milan  ...  305 
Purple-top  White  Globe ..  306 
Ruta  Baga,  Improved 

American  Purple-top. ..  307 
White  Egg.... 305 

Wagon,  Market 353 


INTRODUCTION. 


I  hope  it  is  no  egotism  to  state  that  in  both  the  Floral 
and  Vegetable  departments  of  Horticulture,  in  which  I 
have  been  engaged  for  the  past  eighteen  years,  I  have 
been  entirely  successful.  Now,  we  know  that  success 
only  is  the  test  of  good  generalship,  and  it  follows  that, 
having  been  successful,  I  have  thus  earned  my  title  to 
merit.  From  this  standpoint,  I  claim  che  right  to  at- 
tempt the  instruction  of  the  student  of  horticulture  in 
the  tactics  of  that  field. 

We  have  very  few  works,  either  agricultural  or  horti- 
cultural, by  American  authors,  whose  writers  are  prac- 
tical men,  and  fewer  still  of  these  who  are  men  that  have 
"risen  from  the  ranks."  The  majority  of  such  authors 
being  ex-editors,  lawyers,  merchants,  etc.,  men  of  means 
and  education,  who,  engaging  in  the  business  as  a  pas- 
time, in  a  year  or  two  generously  conclude  to  give  the 
public  the  benefit  of  their  experience. 

The  practical  farmer  or  gardener  readily  detects  the 
ring  of  this  spurious  metal,  and  excusably  looks  upon 
all  such  instructors  with  contempt.  To  this  cause,  per- 
haps more  than  any  other,  may  be  attributed  the  wide- 
spread prejudice  against  book-farming  and  book-garden- 
ing, by  which  thousands  shut  themselves  off  from  infor- 
mation, the  possession  of  which  might  save  years  of  useless 
toil  and  privation. 

(VII) 


VIII  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

I  have  some  pride,  under  present  circumstances  in  say- 
ing that  I  have  had  a  working  experience  in  all  depart- 
ments of  gardening,  from  my  earliest  boyhood,  and  even 
to-day  am  far  more  at  home  in  its  manual  operations  than 
its  literature,  and  have  only  been  induced  to  write  the 
following  pages  at  the  repeated  solicitations  of  friends 
and  correspondents,  to  whose  inquiries,  relative  to  com- 
mercial gardening,  my  time  will  no  longer  allow  me  to 
reply  individually.  I  have  endeavored,  in  this  work, 
to  be  as  concise  and  clear  as  possible,  avoiding  all  abstruse 
or  theoretical  questions,  which  too  often  serve  only  to 
confuse  and  dishearten  the  man  who  seeks  only  for  the 
instruction  that  shall  enable  him  to  practice. 

Although  the  directions  given  are  mainly  for  the  mar- 
ket garden,  or  for  operations  on  a  large  scale,  yet  the 
amateur  or  private  gardener  will  find  no  difficulty  in 
modifying  them  to  suit  the  smallest  requirements.  The 
commercial  gardener,  from  the  keen  competition  ever 
going  on  in  tho  vicinity  of  large  cities,  is,  in  his  opera- 
tions, taxed  to  his  utmost  ingenuity  to  get  at  the  most 
expeditious  and  economical  methods  to  produce  the  finest 
crops — methods  that  we  believe  to  be  superior  to  those 
in  general  use  in  private  gardens,  and  which  may,  with 
profit,  be  followed. 

Our  estimates  of  labor,  I  trust,  will  not  be  overlooked  ; 
for  I  know  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  gentlemen  to 
expect  their  gardeners  to  do  impossibilities  in  this  way. 
The  private  garden  cannot  be  properly  cropped  and  cared 
for  with  less  labor  than  can  our  market  gardens,  and 
these,  we  know,  require  nearly  the  labor  of  one  man  to 
an  acre,  and  that,  too,  with  every  labor-saving  arrange- 


TXTKODICTIOX.  IX 

ment  in  practice.  When  the  care  of  greenhouses,  or 
graperies,  is  in  addition  to  this,  extra  labor  must  be  given 
accordingly,  or  something  must  suffer. 

The  greatest  difficulty  that  has  presented  itself  to  me 
in  giving  the  directions  for  operations,  has  been  the  dates  ; 
in  a  country  having  such  an  area  and  diversity  of  temper- 
ature as  ours,  directions  could  not  well  be  given  for  the 
extremes,  so  as  the  best  thing  to  be  done  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, I  have  taken  the  latitude  of  New  York  as  a 
basis,  and  my  readers  must  modify  my  instructions  to 
suit  their  locality.  The  number  of  varieties  of  each  veg- 
etable described  here  is  very  small  in  comparison  with 
those  that  are  known,  or  the  seeds  of  which  are  offered 
for  sale.  I  have  given  only  such  as  I  have  found  most 
serviceable.  Those  who  wish  for  a  more  extended  list  are 
referred  to  the  seed  catalogues. 

Jersey  City  Heights,  N.  J.t  December  1st,  1X66. 


PREFACE  TO  SECOND  EDITION. 

It  is  now  seven  years  since  I  wrote  "  Gardening  for 
Profit/'  and,  although  it  has  met  with  a  reception  that 
has  been  exceedingly  flattering,  I  have  ever  since  felt  that 
it  was  too  hurriedly  done,  and  far  from  complete.  The 
suggestions  and  queries  made  to  me  by  some  of  the  many 
thousands  of  its  readers,  have  been  the  means  of  develop- 
ing many  new  ideas  and  plans  for  better  cultivation,  which 
I  have  the  pleasure  to  embody  in  this  edition,  A  new 
edition  of  a  work  of  this  kind  becomes  necessary  every 
few  years,  to  enable  it  to  keep  pace  with  the  improvement 
in  varieties,  as  well  as  in  modes  of  culture.  In  the  pres- 
ent edition,  the  part  of  the  work  treating  of  varieties  has 
been  carefully  revised,  and  we  believe  the  kinds  described 
to  be,  as  a  whole,  the  best  in  their  respective  classes  this 
day  in  use,  either  for  private  or  commercial  purposes.  It 
is  gratifying  to  know,  by  letters  from  every  section  of  the 
country,  that  the  publication  of  this  work  has  been  the 
means  of  helping  to  success  thousands  of  inexperienced 
cultivators  of  the  soil,  of  both  classes — those  "  Gardening 
for  Pleasure,"  as  well  as  those  "  Gardening  for  Profit." 
It  is  true  that  some  that  have  been  induced  to  engage  in 
the  business  by  reading  my  book  have  failed.  Such  must 
ever  be  the  case — less  or  more — in  every  business  ;  but  I 
have  gocd  reason  to  believe  that  the  percentage  of  fail- 
ures in  gardening  is  less  than  that  in  almost  any  other 

business. 

PETEK  HENDERSON. 
Jersey  City  Heights,  N.  J., 

January,  1874. 

(x) 


PREFACE  TO   THIRD   EDITION. 

It  is  twenty  years  since  "Gardening  for  Profit  "was 
first  written,  and  twelve  years  since  the  second  edition 
was  issued.  The  lapse  of  a  dozen  years  is  too  long  between 
editions  of  a  work  of  this  character,  for  new  methods  of 
culture,  new  and  improved  varieties  of  vegetables  and 
fruits  are  yearly  coming  into  use,  but  my  life  has  been 
more  than  an  ordinarily  busy  one,  and  I  have  never  been 
able,  until  now,  to  find  sufficient  time  to  get  out  another 
edition  as  full  and  complete  as  the  necessities  of  the 
widely  extending  nature  of  the  business  demands.  The 
present  edition,  it  will  be  seen,  has  a  much  wider  scope 
than  either  of  the  former  editions,  embracing  as  it  does 
not  only  the  forcing  under  glass  of  some  important  fruits 
and  vegetables  not  before  touched  upon,  but  also  detail- 
ing the  methods  of  culture  of  the  leading  small  fruits,, 
which  properly  come  under  the  head  of  "  Gardening  for 
Profit" 

At  the  present  writing,  the  business  of  gardening  in 
such  large  cities  as  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston  or 
Chicago,  is  by  no  means  so  profitable  as  formerly,  mainly 
owing  to  the  vast  competition  from  the  Southern  States, 
but  that  it  is  yet  far  more  profitable  than  farm  operations 
for  the  capital  and  labor  employed — in  almost  every  sec- 
tion of  the  country — cannot  be  doubted.  There  are 
thousands  of  farmers  adjacent  to  the  smaller  towns,  vil- 
lages, hotels,  watering  places,  and  summer  boarding- 
houses,  where  the  want  at  the  table  of  fresh  vegetables 
and  fruits  is  most  conspicuous.  In  many  such  places  it 
is  unquestionable  that  if  the  farmer  would  devote  a  few 

(XI) 


3JI  GARDEXIXG   FOR   PROFIT. 

acres  to  the  cultivation  of  fruits  or  vegetables,  or  both, 
the  chnnces  are  more  than  equal  that  he  would  find  it  to 
be  more  profitable  than  ten  times  the  amount  of  land 
cultivated  in  the  ordinary  farm  crops.  I  have  had  letters 
from  thousands  of  men,  who,  following  the  instructions 
of  the  former  editions  of  "  Gardening  for  Profit,"  have 
thanked  me  for  inducing  them  to  start  in  this  safe  and 
profitable  business. 

PETER  HE^DERSOST. 
Jersey  City  Heights,  N.  J., 

December  1,5th,  1886. 


GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  MEN  FITTED  FOR  THE  BUSINESS  OF 
GARDENING. 

Although  we  shall  here  show  the  business  of  gar- 
dening to  be  a  profitable  one,  let  no  man  deceive 
himself  by  supposing  that  these  profits  are  attainable 
without  steady  personal  application. 

Having  been  long  known  as  extensively  engaged  in 
the  business,  I  am  applied  to  by  scores  every  season, 
asking  how  they  can  make  their  lands  available  for 
garden  purposes.  The  majority  of  these  are  city  mer- 
chants who,  for  investment  or  in  anticipation  of  a  ru- 
ral retreat  in  the  autumn  of  their  days,  have  pur- 
chased a  country  place,  and  in  the  meantime  they 
wish  to  make  it  pay.  They  have  read  or  heard  that 
market  gardening  is  profitable,  and  they  think  it  an 
easy  matter  to  hire  a  gardener  to  work  the  place 
while  they  attend  their  own  mercantile  duties  as  be- 
fore. They  are  usually  gentlemen  of  horticultural 
tendencies,  read  all  the  magazines  and  books  on  the 
subject,  and  from  the  knowledge  thus  obtained,  plume 
themselves  with  the  conceit  that  they  are  able  to  guide 
the  machine. 
(13) 


14  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

Many  hundreds  from  our  large  cities  delude  them- 
selves in  this  way  every  season  iu  different  depart- 
ments of  horticulture — perhaps  more  in  the  culture  of 
fruits  than  of  vegetables.  I  have  no  doubt  that  thou- 
sands of  acres  are  annually  planted,  that  in  three  years 
afterwards  are  abandoned,  and  the  golden  dreams  of 
these  sanguine  gentlemen  forever  dissipated.  Although 
the  workers  of  the  soil  will  not,  as  a  class,  compare 
in  intelligence  with  the  mercantile  men  of  the  cities,  it 
is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  this  want  of  education 
or  intelligence  is  much  of  a  drawback  when  it  comes 
to  cultivating  strawberries  or  cabbages.  True,  the  un- 
tutored mind  does  not  so  readily  comprehend  theo- 
retical or  scientific  knowledge,  but  for  that  very  rea- 
son it  becomes  more  thoroughly  practical,  and  I  must 
say  that,  as  far  as  my  experience  has  gone  (without 
being  thought  for  a  moment  to  derogate  against  the 
utility  of  a  true  scientific  knowledge  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  soil),  that  any  common  laborer  with 
ordinary  sagacity  and  twelve  months'  working  in  a 
garden  would  have  a  far  better  chance  of  success, 
other  things  being  equal,  than  another  without  the 
practice,  even  if  he  had  all  the  writings,  from  Lie- 
big's  down,  at  his  fingers'  ends.  Not  that  a  life-long 
practice  is  absolutely  necessary  to  success,  for  I  can 
see  from  where  I  write  the  homes  of  at  least  half  a 
dozen  men,  all  now  well  to  do  in  the  world,  not  one 
of  whom  had  any  knowledge  of  gardening,  either  prac- 
tical or  theoretical,  when  they  started  the  business, 
but  they  were  all  active  working  men,  "actual  set- 
tler?/' and  depended  alone  on  their  own  heads  and 
hands  for  success,  and  not  on  the  doubtful  judgment 
and  industry  of  a  hired  gardener,  who  had  no  further 
interest  in  the  work  than  his  monthly  salary. 

"D.  H."  writes  me  thus:  "I  am  a  book-keeper 
with  a  salary  from  which  I  can  save  b'lt  little  ;  but 


MEN   FITTED   FOE   THE   BUSINESS.  15 

by  rigid  economy  during  a  series  of  years,  I  have 
scraped  together  $2,000.  My  health  is  only  ordinary. 
With  that  capital  can  I  succeed  as  a  market  gardener 
by  hiring  an  experienced  gardener  ? "  This  inquiry 
is  a  type  of  hundreds  1  now  receive  annually,  and 
to  which  may  be  given  this  general  reply  :  From  the 
naturo  of  the  question,  no  very  definite  answer  can 
be  given,  though  I  would  say  that'  the  chances  are 
two  to  one  against  success.  It  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  the  chances  of  success  in  mercantile  business  are 
even  far  less  than  this.  "D.  H."  may  be  a  capi- 
tal book-keeper,  yet  it  is  doubtful  if  he  has  the  neces- 
sary endurance  to  stand  the  wear  on  the  constitution 
that  market  gardening  involves.  If  he  concludes  to 
start  at  gardening,  he  is  more  likely  than  not  to  se- 
lect a  soil  entirely  unsuited  to  the  purpose.  In  most 
sections  of  the  country  there  are  fewer  soils  suitable  for 
the  cultivation  of  vegetables  than  there  are  those  that 
are  unsuitable.  Again,  he  is  an  educated  man,  and 
this  very  fact  would  be  rather  against  him  than  oth- 
erwise, as  it  would  naturally  incline  him  to  refined 
society  and  associations,  in  which,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
the  beginner  in  market  gardening  cannot  afford  to 
indulge.  The  hiring  of  an  '" experienced  gardener'' 
would  take  all  the  cream  off  of  the  profits.  Experi- 
enced market  gardeners  are  exceedingly  scarce.  Our 
laborers  in  the  market  gardens  are  generally  an  ig- 
norant class  with  very  little  ambition,  and  not  one  in 
a  hundred  of  them  is  fit  to  manage.  Though  em- 
ploying seventy  hands  myself,  I  have  often  been  sadly 
at  a  loss  to  select  from  them  a  suitable  man  as  fore- 
man, though  many  of  them  had  been  with  me  for 
years.  When  one  shows  the  necessary  ability,  his  ser- 
vices are  much  sought  after,  and  he  readily  com- 
mands $500  or  $600  a  year  and  board.  Clerks,  book- 
keepers, and  city-bred  men  generally  are  not  the  ones 


16  Gf-ARDENIXG    FOR    PROFIT. 

likely  to  be  successful  as  workers  of  the  soil.  Few 
of  them  have  any  conception  of  the  labor  required 
to  be  done  to  insure  success.  I  started  business  in 
Jersey  City,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  with  a  cap- 
ital of  $500,  which  it  had  taken  me  three  years  to 
make  as  a  working  gardener.  For  the  first  five  years 
that  I  was  in  business,  I  can  safely  say  that  we  worked, 
on  an  average,  sixteen  hours  a  day,  winter  and  sum- 
mer, with  scarcely  a  day  for  recreation.  Now,  the 
majority  of  clerks,  book-keepers  or  salesmen  do  not 
work  much  more  than  half  that  time,  and  few  of 
them  could  endure  this  lengthened  strain  in  a  sum- 
mer's sun,  and  without  this  endurance  success  is  out 
of  the '  question  ;  for  all  beginners  to-day  must  do  as 
I  did,  until  they  get  their  heads  above  water,  or  else, 
such  is  the  competition,  they  must  go  to  the  wall  in 
the  business.  I  therefore  caution  all  such  who  are 
not  in  robust  health  to  avoid  either  farming  or  gar- 
dening if  their  necessities  require  them  to  make  a  liv- 
ing thereby.  That  the  work  of  the  gardener  is  con- 
ducive to  health,  when  that  has  not  been  impaired, 
there  is  no  question  ;  but  the  long  hours  of  labor  and 
the  exposure  necessary  to  success,  must  tell  against  a 
feeble  constitution. 

The  business  of  market  gardening,  though  pleasant, 
healthful,  and  profitable,  is  a  laborious  one,  from  which 
any  one  not  a-jcustomed  to  manual  labor  would  quickly 
shrink.  The  labor  is  not  what  may  be  termed  heavy, 
but  the  hours  are  long-— not  less  than  an  average  of 
twelve  hours  a  day,  winter  and  summer.  Xo  one 
should  begin  it  after  passing  the  meridian  of  life ; 
neither  is  it  fitted  for  men  of  weak  or  feeble  physi- 
cal organization,  for  it  is  emphatically  a  business  in 
which  one  has  to  rough  it.  In  summer  planting, 
when  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  get  the  plants 
in  while  it  rams,  we  repeatedly  work  for  hours  in 


AMOUNT   OF   CAPITAL. — WORKING    FOECE.  17 

drenching  rains,  and  woe  be  to  the  "boss"  or  fore- 
man who  would  superintend  the  operation  under  the 
protection  of  an  umbrella.  He  must  take  his  chances 
with  the  rank  and  file,  or  his  prestige  as  a  com- 
mander is  gone. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  AMOUNT  OF  CAPITAL  REQUIRED  AND  WORKING 
FORCE  PER  ACRE. 

The  small  amount  of  capital  required  to  begin  farming 
operations,  creates  great  misconception  of  what  is  neces- 
sary for  commercial  gardening ;  for,  judging  from  the 
small  number  of  acres  wanted  for  commencing  a  garden, 
many  suppose  that  a  few  hundred  dollars  is  all  sufficient 
for  a  market  gardener.  For  want  of  information  on  this 
subject,  hundreds  have  failed,  after  years  of  toil  and  pri- 
vation. At  present  prices  (1886),  no  one  would  be  safe 
to  start  the  business  of  vegetable  market  gardening,  in 
the  manner  it  is  carried  on  in  the  neighborhood  of  New 
York,  with  a  capital  of  less  than  $300  per  acre,  for  any- 
thing less  than  ten  acres  ;  if  on  a  larger  scale,  it  might 
not  require  quite  so  much.  The  first  season  rarely  pays 
more  than  current  expenses,  and  the  capital  of  $300  per 
acre  is  all  absorbed  in  horses,  wagons,  glass,  manures, 
etc.  If  the  capital  be  insufficient  to  procure  these  prop- 
erly, the  chance  of  success  is  correspondingly  diminished. 

I  can  call  to  mind  at  least  a  dozen  cases  that  have  oc- 
curred in  my  immediate  neighborhood  within  the  last  ten 
years,  where  steady,  industrious  men  have  utterly  failed, 
and  lost  every  dollar  they  possessed,  merely  by  attempt- 
ing the  business  with  insufficient  capital.  A  few  years 
ago  a  man  called  upon  me  and  stated  that  he  was  about 


18  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

to  become  my  neighbor ;  that  he  had  leased  a  place  of 
twenty  acres  alongside  of  mine  for  ten  years,  for  $600  per 
year,  for  the  purpose  of  growing  vegetables,  and  asked 
me  what  I  thought  of  his  bargain.  I  replied  that  the 
place  was  cheap  enough,  only  I  was  afraid  he  had  got  too 
much  land  for  that  purpose  if  he  attempted  the  working 
of  it  all.  I  further  asked  him  what  amount  of  capital  he 
had,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had  about  $1,000.  I  said 
that  I  was  sorry  to  discourage  him,  but  that  it  was  better 
for  him  to  know  that  the  amount  was  entirely  inadequate 
to  begin  with,  and  that  there  was  not  one  chance  in  fifty 
that  he  would  succeed,  and  that  it  would  be  better,  even 
then,  to  relinquish  the  attempt  ;  but  he  had  paid  $150  for 
a  quarter's  rent  in  advance,  and  could  not  be  persuaded 
from  making  the  attempt.  The  result  was  as  I  expected  ; 
he  began  operations  in  March,  his  little  capital  was  almost 
swallowed  up  in  the  first  two  months,  and  the  few  crops 
he  had  put  in  were  so  inferior  that  they  were  hardly 
worth  sending  to  market.  Without  money  to  pay  for 
help,  his  place  got  enveloped  in  weeds,  and  by  Septem- 
ber of  the  same  year  he  abandoned  the  undertaking. 

Had  the  same  amount  of  capital  and  the  same  energy 
been  expended  on  three  or  four  acres,  there  is  hardly  a 
doubt  that  success  would  have  followed.  Those  who  wish 
to  live  by  gardening,  cannot  be  too  often  told  the  danger 
of  spreading  over  too  large  an  area,  more  particularly  in 
starting.  With  a  small  capital,  two  or  three  acres  may 
be  profitably  Avorked  ;  while  if  ten  or  twelve  were  at- 
tempted with  the  same  amount,  it  would  most  likely  re- 
sult in  failure.  Many  would  suppose  that  if  three  acres 
could  be  leased  for  $100  per  year,  that  twenty  acres  would 
be  cheaper  at  $500  ;  nothing  can  be  more  erroneous,  un- 
less the  enterprise  be  backed  up  with  the  necessary  capi- 
tal— $300  per  acre.  For  be  it  known,  that  the  rental  or 
interest  on  the  ground  used  for  gardening  operations  is 
usually  only  about  ten  per  cent,  of  the  working  expenses, 


AMOUNT   OF   CAPITAL. — WORKING    FORCE.  19 

so  that  an  apparently  cheap  rent,  or  cheap  purchase,  does 
not  very  materially  affect  the  result.  It  is  very  different 
from  farming  operations,  where  often  the  rent  or  interest 
on  purchase  money  amounts  to  nearly  half  the  expenses. 
The  number  of  men  employed  throughout  the  year  on 
a  market  garden  of  ten  acres,  within  three  miles  of  mar- 
ket, planted  in  dose  crop,  averages  seven  ;  this  number  is 
varied  in  proportion,  somewhat,  according  to  the  quantity 
of  glass  in  use.  I  have  generally  employed  more  than 
that — fully  a  man  to  an  acre — but  that  was  in  consequence 
of  having  in  use  more  than  the  ordinary  proportion  of 
sashes.  This  may  seem  to  many  an  unnecessary  force 
for  such  a  small  area,  but  all  our  experience  proves  that 
any  attempt  to  work  with  less  will  be  unprofitable.  What 
with  the  large  quantity  of  manure  indispensable,  seventy- 
five  tons  per  acre  ;  the  close  planting  of  the  crops,  so 
that  every  foot  will  tell ;  the  immense  handling  prepara- 
tory for  market,  to  be  done  on  a  double  crop  each  season, 
one  marketed  in  mid-summer,  another  in  fall  and  winter, 
a  large  and  continued  amount  of  labor  is  required.  On 
lands  within  a  short  distance  of  market — say  two  miles — 
two  horses  are  sufficient ;  but  when  double  that  distance, 
three  are  necessary.  When  three  animals  are  required  it 
is  most  profitable  to  use  a  team  of  mules  to  do  the  plow- 
ing and  heavy  hauling  of  manure,  etc.,  and  do  the  mar- 
keting by  a  strong,  active  horse.  Every  operation  in 
cultivating  the  ground  is  done  13y  horse  labor  whenever 
practicable  to  do  so  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that 
the  crops  of  a  garden  are  very  different  from  those  of  a 
farm  ;  the  land  is  in  most  cases  (particularly  for  tho  fiist 
crops)  planted  so  close  that  nothing  will  do  to  work  with 
but  the  hoe  or  hand  cultivator  (See  Implements). 


20  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

CHAPTER    III. 
PROFITS  OF  MARKET  GARDENING. 

This  is  rather  a  difficult  if  not  a  delicate  matter 
to  touch,  as  the  profits  are  so  large  in  some  instances 
as  almost  to  exceed  belief,  and  so  trifling  under  other 
conditions  as  to  be  hardly  worth  naming.  These  lat- 
ter conditions,  however,  are  generally  where  men  have 
started  on  unsuitable  soils,  too  far  from  market,  or 
without  money  enough  to  have  ever  got  thoroughly 
under  way.  But  as  the  object  of  this  work  is  to  en- 
deavor to  show  how  the  business  can  be  made  a  profit- 
able one,  I  will  endeavw  to  approximate  to  our  av- 
erage profits  per  acre.  As  a  rule  it  may  be  premised 
that  for  every  additiDnal  acre  over  ten,  the  profits 
per  acre  will  to  some  extent  diminish,  from  the  fact 
that  a  larger  area  cannot  be  so  thoroughly  worked 
as  a  smaller  one ;  besides,  there  will  often  be  a  loss 
in  price  by  having  to  crowd  larger  quantities  of  pro- 
duce into  market  and  to  leave  it  in 'the  hands  of  in- 
experienced salesmen.  The  majority  of  our  products 
are  quickly  perishable  and  must  be  sold  when  ready. 

The  average  profits  for  the  past  ten  years  on  all  well 
cultivated  market  gardens  in  this  vicinity  have  only  been 
about  $200  per  acre.  For  the  five  years  from  1861  to  1866 
they  were  perhaps  twice  that  amount ;  but  those  were 
years  of  "war  prices,"  such  as  we  will  be  well  con- 
tent never  to  see  again.  These  profits  are  for  the 
products  of  the  open  gardens  only,  not  of  the  frames 
or  forcing-pits,  which  are  alluded  to  elsewhere.  These 
amounts  are  for  the  neighborhood  of  New  York,  and, 
I  think,  from  the  vast  competition  in  business,  are  now 
a  low  average  for  the  majority  of  towns  and  cities 
throughout  the  country.  Certain  it  is  that  from  our 


PROFITS   OF   MARKET   GARDENING.  21 

lands,  even  at  a  value  of  from  $1,000  to  85,000  per 
acre,  we  can  (and  do)  profitably  grow  and  supply  the 
majority  of  towns  within  fifty  miles  around  New  York 
with  fresh  vegetables.  In  these  cases,  no  doubt,  the 
consumer  pays  full  double  the  price  that  the  raiser 
receives,  for  they  generally  pass  through  the  hands 
of  two  classes  of  "middlemen"  before  they  reach  the 
consumer,  besides  which,  there  are  extra  charges  for 
packing,  shipping  and  freight.  Thus  the  consumer 
in  a  country  town,  where  land  often  is  not  as  much 
in  value  per  acre  as  it  is  here  per  lot,  pays  twice 
the  value  for  his  partially  stale  vegetables  or  fruits, 
which  he  receives  rarely  sooner  than  twenty-four  hours 
after  they  are  gathered. 

In  most  of  such  towns  market  gardening,  carried 
on  after  our  manner,  would  unquestionably  be  highly 
remunerative  ;  for  if  these  articles  were  offered  to  the 
consumer  fresh  from  the  gardens,  he  would  certainly 
be  willing  to  pay  more  for  his  home-grown  products 
than  for  the  bruised  and  battered  ones  that  are  freighted 
from  the  metropolis.  Take,  for  example,  the  article 
of  Celery,  which  pays  us  very  well  at  two  cents  per 
root.  There  is  hardly  a  city  or  town  in  the  coun- 
try, except  New  Ycrk,  but  where  it  sells  for  twice, 
and  in  some  cases  six  times,  that  price  per  root ;  yet 
the  great  bulk  of  this  article  sold  in  Philadelphia  is 
sent  from  New  York,  for  which  the  consumer  must 
pay  at  least  double  the  price  paid  here,  for  it  is  a 
bulkv  and  expensive  article  to  pack  and  ship,  and 
must  of  a  necessity  pay  a  profit  both  to  the  agent 
here  and  in  Philadelphia,  which  of  course  comes  out 
of  the  pocket  of  the  consumer.  This  is  only  one  of 
many  such  articles  of  which  the  culture  is  imper- 
fectly understood,  and  which  the  great  market  of  New 
York  is  looked  to  for  a  supply. 

The  following  will   show   the  rate   of    receipts  and 


22  GARDEXIXG    FOR    PROFIT. 

expenditures  for  one  acre  of  a  few  of  the  leading  arti- 
cles we  cultivate,  taking  the  average  of  the  past  ten 
years,  from  the  grounds  that  have  been  brought  up 
to  the  proper  standard  of  fertility  necessary  to  the 
market  garden  : 

EXPENDITURES    FOR    ONE    ACRE. 

Labor ...  $480 

Horse-labor   50 

Manure,  75  tons 100 

Eent - 50 

Seeds --  10 

Wear  and  Tear  of  Tools,  etc 10 

Cost  of  Carriage  to  Market  and  Selling 100 

$800 

RECEIPTS    FOR    ONE    ACRE. 

12,000  Early  Cabbages,  at  4  cents  per  head $480 

14,000  Lettuce,  at  1  cent  per  head 140 

30, 000  Celery,  at  2  cents  per  head 600 

$1,220 
800 


$430 

The  rotation  crops  of  Early  Beets  or  Onions,  fol- 
lowed by  Horseradish  or  Sweet  Herbs  as  a  second  crop, 
give  nearly  the  same  results. 


LOCATION,    SITUATION    AXD    LAYING    OUT.  23 

CHAPTER    IV. 
LOCATION,   SITUATION   AND    LAYING  OUT. 

LOCATION. — Before  deciding  on  the  spot  for  a  gar- 
den, too  much  caution  cannot  be  used  in  selecting 
the  locality.  Mistakes  in  this  matter  are  often  the 
sole  cause  of  want  of  success,  even  when  all  other 
conditions  are  favorable.  It  is  always  better  to  pay 
a  rent  or  interest  of  $50,  or  even  $100,  per  acre  on 
land  one  or  two  miles  from  market  than  to  take  the 
same  quality  of  land  six  or  seven  miles  distant  for  noth- 
ing ;  for  the  extra  expense  of  teaming,  procuring  ma- 
nure, and  often  greater  difficulty  of  obtaining  labor, 
far  more  than  counterbalance  the  difference  in  the 
rental  of  the  land.  Another  great  object  in  being 
near  the  market  is  that  one  can  thereby  take  advan- 
tage of  the  condition  of  prices,  which  often  in  per- 
ishable commodities  like  garden  produce  is  very  va- 
riable. It  not  infrequently  happens  that,  from  scar- 
city or  an  unusual  demand,  there  will  be  a  differ- 
ence of  $15  or  $20  per  load,  even  in  one  day ;  hence, 
if  near  a  market,  larger  quantities  can  be  thrown  in 
than  if  at  a  distance,  and  the  advantage  of  higher 
rates  be  taken. 

This  disadvantage  in  distance  only  holds  good  for 
perishable  articles  that  are  bulky.  The  lighter  and 
valuable  crops,  such  as  Tomatoes,  Cucumbers,  Let- 
tuce, Radishes,  etc.,  from  more  southern  and  earlier 
localities  are  grown  often  hundreds  of  miles  distant 
and  freighted  to  market  at  a  handsome  profit.  So 
with  the  less  perishable  articles,  such  as  dry  roots  of 
Carrots,  Beets,  Parsnips,  Horseradish,  etc.  But  the 
necessity  for  nearness  to  market  for  the  bulky  and 
perishable  crops,  such  as  Cabbage,  Lettuce  and  Cel- 
ery, is  of  importance. 


24  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

SITUATION  AND  LAYING-OUT. — It  is  not  always  that 
choice  can  be  made  in  the  situation  of  or  aspect  of 
the  ground  ;  but  whenever  it  can  be  made,  a  level 
spot  should  be  selected,  but  if  there  be  any  slope, 
let  it  be  to  the  south.  Shelter  is  of  great  impor- 
tance in  producing  early  crops,  and  if  a  position  can 
be  found  where  the  wind  is  broken  off  by  woods  or  hills 
to  the  north  or  northwest,  such  a  situation  would 
be  very  desirable.  In  the  absence  of  this  we  find  it 
necessary  to  protect,  at  least,  our  forcing  and  fram- 
ing grounds,  with  high  board  fences,  or,  better  yet, 
belts  of  Norway  spruce.  The  most  convenient  shape 
of  the  garden  is  a  square  or  oblong  form  ;  if  square, 
a  road  twelve  feet  wide  should  be  made  through  the 
center,  intersected  by  another  road  of  similar  width  ; 
but  if  oblong,  one  road  of  the  same  width  running 
through  the  center  in  a  plot  of  ten  acres  will  be  suf- 
ficient. 

VEGETABLE  HOUSE,  WELLS,  ETC. — Connected  with 
every  market  garden  is  a  vegetable  house,  usually 
about  twenty-five  feet  square,  having  a  frost-proof 
cellar,  over  which  is  the  vegetable  or  washing  house. 
In  the  second  story  is  a  loft  for  seeds,  storage,  etc. 
Immediately  outside  the  vegetable  house  is  the  well, 
from  which  the  water  is  pumped  to  a  tub  in  one  cor- 
ner of  the  building,  on  each  side  of  which  are  erected 
benches  of  convenient  height,  on  which  the  workmen 
tie  and  wash  the  vegetables  preparatory  to  sending 
them  to  market. 


SOIL,    DRAINAGE    AND    PREPARATION.  2§ 

CHAPTER    V. 
SOIL,  DRAINAGE  AND  PREPARATION. 

In  the  course  of  an  experience  of  nearly  forty  years  as 
a  market  gardener,  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York,  I 
have  had,  in  the  prosecution  of  the  business,  the  oppor- 
tunity of  reclaiming  large  tracts  of  very  different  varities 
of  soil.  Some  of  these,  almost  the  first  season,  yielded  a 
handsome  profit,  while  with  others,  the  labor  of  years, 
and  the  expenditure  of  large  sums  in  extra  manuring  and 
draining,  have  never  been  able  to  bring  these  uncongenial 
soils  up  to  the  proper  standard  of  productiveness. 

On  many  occasions  I  have  referred  to  the  great  impor- 
tance of  selecting  a  proper  quality  of  soil  for  all  garden- 
ing and  farming  operations,  and  the  fact  cannot  be  too 
often  nor  too  forcibly  impressed  that  success  hinges  more 
directly  upon  this  than  on  anything  else.  Thousands  are 
every  year  ruined  by  a -bad  selection  of  soil.  I  have 
scores  come  to  me  in  the  course  of  every  season  for  advice 
in  this  matter  of  soils,  but  in  most  instances  the  advice  is 
asked  too  late  ;  the  majority  of  the  applicants  having 
been  unfortunate  enough  to  buy  or  rent  land  that  they 
had  been  led  to  believe  was  excellent,  but  only  "run 
down."  *In  my  opinion  this  widespread  notion  of  "ex- 
hausted lands  "  is,  to  a  great  extent,  a  fallacy,  and  that 
most  of  the  lands  said  to  be  so  exhausted  never  were 
good,  and  nothing  short  of  spreading  a  good  soil  over 
them  a  foot  thick  would  ever  make  them  available. 

The  practical  test  of  the  importance  of  a  good  soil  for 
market  garden  operations  is  clearly  shown  in  a  score  of 
cases  in  my  vicinity.  Wherever  a  man  of  ordinary  indus- 
try and  intelligence  has  been  fortunate  enough  to  locate 
on  land  that  is  naturally  good,  his  success  has  been  cer- 
tain, while  others  that  have  not  been  able  to  procure  such 
land  have  had  to  struggle  far  harder  for  less  returns  ;  in 


26  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

some  few  instances  entire  failure  has  been  the  case,  for 
the  reason  that  the  soil  started  on  was  unfitted  for  the 
purpose. 

The  variety  of  soil  that  we  value  above  all  others  is  an 
alluvial  saline  deposit,  rarely  found  over  more  than  a  mile 
inland  from  the  tide  mark.  It  is  of  dark  heavy  loam, 
containing  throughout  a  large  mixture  of  decomposing 
oyster  and  other  shells  ;  it  averages  from  ten  to  thirty 
inches  deep,  overlaying  a  subsoil  of  yellow  sandy  loam. 
The  next  lest  variety  is  somewhat  lighter  soil,  both  in 
color  and  specific  gravity,  from  eight  to  fifteen  inches 
deep,  having  a  similar  subsoil  to  the  above.  Then  we 
have  a  still  lighter  soil,  in  both  senses  of  the  term,  in 
which  the  sand  predominates  over  the  loam,  and  laying 
on  a  subsoil  of  pure  sand  ;  this  variety  of  soil  is  well 
adapted  for  Melons,  Cucumbers,  Sweet  Potatoes,  Rad- 
ishes and  Tomatoes,  but  is  almost  useless  for  growing 
crops  of  Onions,  Cabbages  or  Celery.  We  have  still 
another  kind  of  soil,  which  I  place  last,  as  being  of  the 
least  value  for  the  purpose  of  growing  vegetables ;  this 
variety,  singularly  enough,  is  found  on  the  highest  points 
only,  its  color  being  somewhat  lighter  than  that  of  the 
variety  first  mentioned ;  it  is  what  is  termed  a  clayey 
loam,  averaging  ten  inches  in  depth,  under  which  is  a 
thick  stratum  of  stiff  bluish  clay.  \Vith  a  s'ubsoil  of 
this  nature  it  is  almost  useless  to  attempt  to  grow 
early  vegetables  for  market  purposes. 

I  have  just  such  a  soil  as  the  last  mentioned,  thoroughly 
drained  three  feet  deep,  the  drains  only  eighteen  feet 
apart,  and  yet  in  another  garden  that  I  work,  having  the 
two  first  named  soils  and  only  one  mile  distant,  manured 
and  cultivated  the  same  in  all  respects,  fruits  and  vege- 
tables are  ready  from  five  to  ten  days  earlier.  But  for 
the  succession,  or  second  crops,  such  as  Celery,  etc.,  this 
stiff,  cold  soil  is  just  what  is  wanted  ;  earliness  with  these 
is  not  the  object,  and  its  "  coldness"  is  congenial  to  the 


SQIL,    DRAINAGE    AND    PREPARATION.  27 

roots  of  the  k/ce  crop.  But  if  selection  can  be  made  for 
general  purposes,  choose  a  rather  dark-colored  loamy  soil, 
neither  "sandy"  nor  "clayey,"  as  deep  as  can  be  found, 
but  not  less  than  twelve  inches.  If  it  overlay  a  sandy 
loam  of  yellowish  color,  through  which  water  will  pass 
freely,  you  have  struck  the  right  spot,  and  abundant 
crops  can  be  raised  under  proper  management.  When 
selecting  land,  do  not  be  deceived  by  any  one  who  tells 
you  that  if  not  naturally  good,  the  soil  may  be  made  so 
by  cultivation  and  manure.  These  will  help,  certainly, 
but  only  as  education  improves  the  shallow  mind.  Lux- 
uriant crops  can  no  more  be  expected  from  a  thin  and 
poor  soil — no  matter  how  much  it  is  cultivated — than 
fertile  ideas  from  a  shallow  brain,  educate  it  as  you  will. 
The  best  guide  in  the  selection  of  land  for  garden  pur- 
poses is  to  closely  examine  and  compare  the  crops  on 
lands  adjacent  ;  if,  under  ordinary  culture,  you  see  these 
lands  producing  good  crops  of  Corn,  Wheat,  or  Potatoes, 
or  where  the  meadows  give  two  or  three  tons  of  Hay  to 
the  acre,  it  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  land  on  the  same 
level  as  that  in  question  will  be  of  similar  quality.  But 
should  the  land  to  be  selected  for  garden  purposes  be  in 
a  region  where  there  is  nothing-  but  timber  or  the  natural 
grasses  to  guide,  then  the  best  thing  to  do  is  to  carefully 
dig  in  different  parts  of  the  land  to  ascertain  the  depth 
and  quality  of  the  top  soil,  and  above  all  the  texture  of 
the  subsoil,  which,  if  it  be  of  stiff,  adhesive  clay,  such  as 
bricks  could  be  made  from,  turn  back  at  once  and  let 
that  soil  alone,  if  desired  for  garden  work.  To  the  en- 
tirely inexperienced  person,  who  is  about  to  lease  or  pur- 
chase land  for  garden  work,  I  would  advise  him  to  get, 
if  possible,  an  entirely  disinterested  practical  farmer  or 
gardener  to  examine  the  soil  and  general  surroundings  of 
the  locality  before  entering  on  the  undertaking  ;  for,  as 
before  said,  the  quality  of  the  soil  is  all  important  to 
success. 


28  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

DRAINAGE. — Every  operator  in  the  soil  concedes  the 
importance  of  drainage,  yet  it  is  really  astonishing  to 
observe  how  men  will  work  wet  lands,  year  after  year, 
wasting  annually,  by  loss  of  crops,  twice  the  amount  re- 
quired to  thoroughly  drain.  A  most  industrious  German, 
in  this  vicinity,  cultivated  about  eight  acres  for  three 
years,  barely  making  a  living  •  his  soil  was  an  excellent 
loam,  but  two-thirds  of  it  was  so  "  spongy  "  that  he  could 
never  get  it  plowed  until  all  his  neighbors  had  their  crops 
planted.  Driving  past  one  day  I  hailed  him,  asking  him 
why  he  was  so  late  in  getting  in  his  crop,  when  he  ex- 
plained that  if  he  had  begun  sooner  his  horses  would 
have  "bogged"  so  he  might  never  have  got  them  out 
again.  I  suggested  draining,  but  he  replied  that  would 
never  pay -on  a  leased  place;  he  had  started  on  a  ten 
years'  lease,  which  had  only  seven  years  more  to  run,  and 
that  he  would  only  be  improving  it  for  his  landlord,  who 
would  allow  him  nothing  for  such  improvement.  After 
some  further  conversation  I  asked  him  to  jump  into  my 
wagon,  and  in  ten  minutes  we  alighted  at  a  market  gar- 
den that  had,  six  years  before,  been  just  such  a  swamp 
hole  as  his  own,  but  now  (the  middle  of  May)  was  luxu- 
riant with  vegetation.  I  explained  to  him  what  its  former 
condition  had  been,  and  that  the  investing  of  $500  in 
drain  tiles  would,  in  twelve  months,  put  his  in  the  same 
condition.  He,  being  a  shrewd  man,  acted  on  the  advice, 
and  at  the  termination  of  his  lease  purchased  and  paid 
for  his  eight  acres  $12,000,  the  saving  01  six  years  on  his 
drained  garden.  This  was  in  war  times,  when  prices  for 
all  products  were  double  what  they  are  now.  I  honestly 
believe  that  had  he  gone  on  without  draining  he  would 
not  have  made  $1,200  in  twelve  years,  far  less  $12,000  in 
six  years.  My  friend  attributes  his  whole  success  in  life 
to  our  accidental  meeting  and  conversation  that  May 
morning,  and  consequently  I  have  no  stauncher  friend 
on  earth  than  he. 


SOIL,    DRAINAGE    AND    PREPARATION.  29 

The  modes  of  draining  must  be  guided  to  a  great 
extent  by  circumstances.  Wherever  stones  are  abund- 
ant on  land,  the  most  economical  way  to  dispose  of 
them  is  to  use  them  for  drainage..  1  .have  also  used 
with  great  success  in  a  wet,  sandy  subsoil,  where  dig- 
ging was  easily  done,  brush  from  adjacent  woods,  cut  off 
and  trodden  firmly  two  feet  deep  in  the  bottom  of  drains 
five  feet  deep,  overlaying  the  brush  with  straw  or 
meadow  hay  before  covering  in.  Drains  so  made  have 
answered  well  for  nearly  a  dozen  years,  and  in  sit- 
uations where  no  other  material  offers,  they  will  at 
least  answer  a  temporary  purpose.  But  unquestion- 
ably, when  at  all  attainable  at  anything  like  reason- 
able cost,  the  cheapest  and  most  thorough  draining 
is  by  tile.  We  use  here  the  ordinary  horseshoe  or 


Fig.  1.— HORSESHOE   TILE. 

round  tile — three-inch  size  for  the  laterals,  and  from  five 
to  six  inch  for  the  mains.  On  stiff,  clayey  soils  we 
make  our  lateral  drains  three  feet  deep  and  from  fifteen 
to  eighteen  feet  apart;  on  soils  with  less  compact  sub- 
soils, twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  distant.  We  find  it 
cheaper  to  use  the  horseshoe  than  the  sole  tile.  In  lieu 
of  the  sole  we  cut  common  hemlock  boards  in  four 
pieces — that  is,  cut  them  through  the  middle — and  split 
these  again,  making  a  board  thus  cut  run  about  fifty  feet. 
These  are  placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  drains  and  prevent 
the  cagging  of  the  tiles  in  any  particular  spot  that 
might  be  soft  (figure  1).  We  are  particularly  careful 
to  place,  after  setting,  a  piece  of  sod,  grass  down, 
over  the  joinings  of  the  tiles  to  prevent  the  soil  from 
getting  in  and  stopping  up  the  drainage. 

The    manner    of    constructing    stone  drains   is   gov- 


30 


GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 


erned  by  the  character  of  the  stone  on  hand ;  if 
round,  they  are  best  made  as  rubble  drains  (figure  2), 
but  if  flat,  which  is  much  the  best,  they  are  made 
as  represented  by  figure  3  ;  but  in  either  case  the  same 
care  must  be  exercised  in  covering  over  the  top  thor- 
oughly with  sod,  shavings,  straw  or  some  similar  ma- 
terial, in  quantity  sufficient  to  prevent  the  soil  from 
washing  in  and  filling  up  the  cavity. 

Cheap  drains  of  hemlock  boards  are  found  to  be 
very  useful  for  wet  lands  and  can  often  be  obtained 
when  the  regular  tiles  cannot.  They  are  usually  less 
costly  and  are  more  quickly  laid.  Such  drains  are  usu- 


'.  & — BUBBLE  DRAIN. 


Fig.  3.— FLAT   STONE  DRAIN. 


ally  made  triangular,  with  three  boards  three  or  four 
inches  wide,  nailed  edge  to  edge,  or  the  better  way  is  to 
put  the  cover  on  the  top  of  the  drain  crosswise  (fig.  4). 
This  gives  more  openings  through  which  the  water  may 
enter  the  drain,  and  also  makes  them  stronger.  Where 
roads  cross  a  drain  of  this  kind,  it  is  safer  to  make 
them  in  this  way  and  also  to  lay  a  plank  upon  the 
drain  to  distribute  the  pressure.  Every  precaution 
should  be  taken  to  have  the  work  of  draining  thor- 
oughly done.  It  is  costly  work,  and  if  one  little 
blunder  is  made,  everything  may  be  spoiled,  for  a  drain 


SOIL,    DRAINAGE   AND    PREPARATION".  31 

is  like  a  chain,  and  if  an  obstruction  occurs  it  is 
like  a  link  broken — the  drain  is  rendered  useless,  like 
the  chain. 

PREPARATION  OF  THE  GROUND. — Assuming  that  the 
ground  on  which  the  garden  is  to  be  formed  is  in 
sod,  the  best  time  to  begin  operations  is  in  Septem- 
ber, October,  or  November.  If  draining  is  necessary, 
that  should  be  first  completed.  Before  the  sod  is 
plowed,  it  would  greatly  assist  its  rotting,  if  horse 
manure  can  be  obtained,  to  spread  it  over  the  sur- 
face to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches.  In  plow- 
ing the  sod  under,  care  should  be  taken  to  have  it 
laid  as  flat  as  possible.  This  can  be  best  done  by 
plowing  shallow  ;  and  at  this  time  there  is  no  par- 
ticular necessity  for  deep  plowing.  After  plowing  we 


Fig.  4.— BOARD  DRAIN. 

find  it  advantageous  to  flatten  down  the  furrows  by 
running  over  with  the  back  of  the  common  harrow, 
or,  better  yet,  with  the  shortened  blades  of  the  Acme 
harrow  (see  implements).  This  mellows  the  soil,  so 
that  it  fills  up  the  crevices  left  between  the  fur- 
rows, and  hastens  the  decomposition  of  the  sod.  If 
the  plowing  has  been  done  early  enough  in  the  fall, 
so  that  the  sod  has  had  time  to  rot  the  same  sea- 
son, it  will  facilitate  the  operations  of  next  spring 
to  cross  plow  and  thoroughly  harrow  ;  but  if  too  late, 
this  had  better  be  deferred  until  spring.  After  the 
ground  has  been  well  broken  up  by  this  second  plow- 
ing and  harrowing,  ic  should  again  be  manured  over 
the  whole  surface  with  rough  stable  manure,  as  much 
as  can  well  be  procured — there  is  rarely  danger  of 


32  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

getting  too  much — and  the  third  plowing  takes  place, 
followed  this  time  by  the  subsoil  plow  if  time  will 
permit.  I  have  always  found  it  best  in  breaking  in 
new  ground,  to  crop  with  Potatoes,  Corn,  or  late  Cab- 
bages the  first  season,  unless  by  preparation  in  early 
fall  it  has  acquired  the  proper  mellow  state  necessary 
for  crops  of  garden  vegetables  or  small  fruits  ;  but  it 
rarely  happens  that  any  amount  of  labor  or  manur- 
ing can  so  prepare  the  ground  the  first  season  as  to 
bring  it  to  that  high  degree  of  tilth  necessary  for 
growing  garden  vegetables  as  they  should  be  grown, 
and  any  attempt  to  do  so  will  result  in  a  meagre 
crop,  which  will  not  pay — at  least  in  such  districts 
as  New  York,  where  there  is  always  abundance  of 
products  of  the  first  quality.  It  must  not  be  expected 
that  the  crops  of  Potatoes,  etc.,  will  give  much  profit 
for  this  unusual  outlay  in  preparation  and  manure, 
for  they  certainly  will  not,  and  the  beginner  must  be 
content  to  wait  for  his  profits  until  the  second  sea- 
son. These  are  certain  to  be  realized  if  these  prep- 
arations have  been  properly  made.  Hence  will  be  seen 
the  necessity  for  capital  in  this  business,  for  the  re- 
turns, though  highly  remunerative,  are  not  always 
quick. 


MAS  HUES.  33 

CHAPTER    VI. 
MANURES. 

The  quantity,  quality,  and  proper  application  of  ma- 
nures is  of  the  utmost  importance  in  all  gardening  opera- 
tions, and  few  have  any  conception  of  the  immense  quan- 
tity necessary  to  produce  the  heavy  crops  seen  in  our 
market  gardens.  Of  stable  or  barn-yard  manure,  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  tons  per  acre  is  used,  and  prepared, 
for  at  least  six  months  previously,  by  thoroughly  turning 
and  breaking  up  to  prevent  its  heating  unduly.  The 
usual  method  is  to  have  the  manure  yard  formed  in  a 
low  part  of  the  garden,  but  if  there  is  no  natural  depres- 
sion, one  may  be  made  by  digging  out  an  area  fifty  by 
one  hundred  feet  and  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches 
deep,  and  enclosing  it  by  a  fence  about  six  feet  in  height. 
The  wagons  are  driven  alongside,  and  the  green  manure 
thrown  into  the  enclosure,  care  being  taken  to  have  it" 
spread  regularly  ;  hogs  are  usually  kept  upon  the  manure 
in  numbers  sufficient  to  break  it  up,  they  being  fed  in 
part  by  the  refuse  vegetables  and  weeds  of  the  garden. 

The  manure  of  horses  is  most  valued,  as  we  consider  it, 
weight  for  weight,  worth  about  one-fourth  more  than 
that  of  cows  or  hogs ;  on  stiff  soils  it  is  of  much  more 
benefit  as  a  pulverizer.  There  are  many  articles — the 
refuse  of  manufactures — that  are  still  wasted,  that  have 
great  value  as  manures.  Among  others,  and  of  first  im- 
portance, is  the  refuse  hops  from  the  breweries.  It  is 
twenty  years  ago  since  they  first  began  to  be  used  in  our 
gardens  about  New  York ;  at  first  they  were  to  be  had 
at  almost  every  brewery  without  cost,  but  the  demand 
has  so  increased  that  the  price  to-day  ranges  even  higher 
than  that  of  the  best  stable  manure.  Aside  from  its  high 
fertilizing  properties,  it  is  excellent  for  breaking  up  and 
pulverizing  the  soil,  and  as  a  top-dressing  or  mulching1, 


34  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

either  to  protect  from  the  sun  in  summer,  or  from  the 
frost'  in  winter,  it  has  no  equal.  From  my  experience 
with  this  fertilizer,  I  consider  it  to  be  of  nearly  double 
the  value  of  that  of  stable  manure.  It  requires  to  be 
composted  in  the  same  manner  as  other  manures  ;  it  heats 
rapidly,  and  must  be  either  spread  regularly  over  the  hog 
yard,  or  else  turned  once  in  two  weeks  to  prevent  "fire- 
fang"  from  violent  heating. 

Another  valuable  refuse  from  our  manufactories  is  the 
shavings  and  scrapings  from  horn  or  whalebone  manu- 
factories. The  best  way  to  render  these  most  available 
is  to  compost  them  thoroughly  with  hot  manure,  in  the 
proportion  of  one  ton  of  shavings  to  fifteen  of  manure  ; 
the  heated  manure  extracts  the  oil  from  the  shavings, 
which  is  intermingled  with  the  whole.  I  have  on  several 
occasions  seen  the  mixture  of  five  tons  of  whalebone 
shavings  with  our  ordinary  stable  manure  make  $400  per 
acre  difference  in  the  value  of  the  crop  ;  but  of  course 
such  manufactories  are  not  common,  and  it  is  only  in 
certain  localities  that  this  fertilizer  can  be  had. 

Another  valuable  fertilizer  from  manufactories  is 
"  sugar  house  scum,"  which  is  composed  largely  of  blood, 
charcoal,  and  saccharine  refuse  ;  as  it  heats  violently, 
instead  of  being  thrown  in  heaps  by  itself,  it  should  be 
composted  with  equal  quantities  of  soil  or  muck,  and 
turned  frequently,  so  that  the  whole  is  thoroughly 
mixed  ;  when  thus  composted,  it  makes  an  excellent  ma- 
nure at  twenty  tons  per  acre  ;  it  is  best  applied  by  lightly 
plowing,  or  deeply  harrowing-in. 

Of  concentrated  manures,  perhaps  the  best  for  general 
purposes  is  pure  Peruvian  guano  ;  this  for  general  crops, 
when  used  without  the  addition  of  stable  manures,  is  put 
on  at  the  rate  of  from  1,000  to  1,200  pounds  per  acre  ;  it 
is  first  pounded  to  powder,  so  that  it  can  be  regularly 
sown  over  the  surface  after  plowing  ;  it  is  then  thoroughly 
harrowed  in,  and  the  crop  is  sown  or  planted  at  once.  In 


MANURES.  35 

my  experience,  the  next  best  concentrated  fertilizer  is 
bone  dust,  or  flour  of  bone  ;  in  careful  experiments  with 
our  crops  of  cauliflower  and  cabbage,  we  applied  it  in  the 
same  manner  as  guano,  but  at  the  rate  of  nearly  2,000 
pounds  per  acre,  and  it  gave  most  satisfactory  results, 
surpassing  those  of  guano,  where  that  had  been  used  at 
the  rate  of  1,200  pounds  per  acre.  In  applying  manures 
to  the  soil,  we  have  long  ago  discovered  the  great  impor- 
tance of  an  alternation  of  different  kinds.  When  I  first 
began  business  as  a  market  gardener  I  had  opportunities 
of  getting  large  quantities  of  night  soil  from  the  scaven- 
gers of  Jersey  City  ;  this  was  mixed  with  stable  manure, 
charcoal,  sawdust,  or  any  other  absorbent  most  conveni- 
ent, and  applied,  so  mixed,  at  the  rate  of  about  thirty 
tons  per  acre.  The  crops  raised  with  this  manure  were 
enormous,  for  two  or  three  years,  but  it  gradually  began 
to  lose  effect,  and  in  five  years  from  the  time  we  began 
to  use  it,  it  required  nearly  double  the  weight  of  this 
compost  to  produce  even  an  average  crop.  I  then  aban- 
doned the  use  of  night  soil  and  applied  refuse  hops 
instead,  at  the  rate  of  about  sixty  tons  per  aero,  with 
marked  improvement ;  but  this  was  for  the  first  and 
second  years  only,  the  third  year  showing  a  falling  off. 
About  this  time  our  prejudices  against  the  use  of  con- 
centrated manures  for  market  gardening  began  to  give 
way,  and  at  first  we  applied  guano  together  with  manure 
at  the  rate  of  300  pounds  per  acre,  which  we  found  to 
pay  ;  and  the  next  season  guano  was  used  at  the  rate  of 
1,200  pounds  per  acre  with  very  satisfactory  results. 
Since  then  our  practice  has  been  a  systematic  alternation 
of  manures,  which  I  am  convinced  is  of  quite  as  much 
importance  to  the  production  of  uniform  crops  of  first 
quality,  as  is  the  alternation  of  varieties  of  the  different 
kinds  of  vegetables. 

It  is  a  grave  blunder  to  attempt  to  grow  vegetable 
crops  without  the  use  of  manures  of  the  various  kinds  in 


36  GAKDENIXG   FOIi   PROFIT. 

about  the  proportions  I  have  named.  I  never  yet  saw 
soil  of  any  kind  that  had  borne  a  crop  of  vegetables  that 
would  produce  as  good  a  crop  the  next  season  without 
the  use  of  manure,  no  matter  how  "rich"  the  soil  may 
be  thought  to  be.  An  illustration  of  this  came  under 
my  observation  a  few  years  ago.  One  of  my  neighbors, 
a  market  gardener  of  nearly  twenty  years'  experience, 
and  whose  grounds  had  always  been  a  perfect  model  of 
productiveness,  had  it  in  prospect  to  run  a  sixty-foot 
street  through  his  grounds.  Thinking  his  land  suf- 
ficiently rich  to  carry  through  a  crop  of  Cabbages  with- 
out manure,  he  thought  it  useless  to  waste  money  by  using 
guano  on  that  portion  on  which  the  street  was  to  be, 
but  on  each  side,  sowed  guano  at  the  rate  of  1,200  pounds 
per  acre,  and  planted  the  whole  with  Early  Cabbages. 
The  effect  was  the  most  marked  I  ever  saw.  That  por- 
tion on  which  the  guano  had  been  used  sold  off  readily 
at  $12  per  hundred,  or  about  $1,400  per  acre,  both  price 
and  crop  being  more  than  an  average— this  was  the  era 
of  high  prices — but  the  portion  from  which  the  guano 
had  been  withheld,  hardly  averaged  $3  per  hundred.  The 
street  occupied  fully  an  acre  of  ground,  so  that  my  friend 
actually  lost  over  $1,000  in  crop  by  withholding  $60  for 
manure.  Another  neighbor,  whose  lease  had  only  one  year 
to  run,  and  who  also  unwisely  concluded  that  it  would  be 
foolish  to  waste  manure  on  his  last  crop,  planted  and 
sowed  all  without  it.  The  result  was,  as  his  experience 
should  have  taught  him,  a  crop  of  inferior  quality  in 
every  article  grown  and  loss  on  his  eight  acres  of  prob- 
ably $2,000  for  that  season.  The  comparative  value  of 
manures  must  be  regulated  by  the  cost.  If  rotted  stable 
manure,  whether  from  horses  or  cows,  can  be  delivered 
on  the  ground  at  $3  per  ton,  it  is  about  as  valuable  for 
fertilizing  purposes  as  Peruvian  guano  at  $65  per  ton,  or 
pure  bone  dust  at  $40  per  ton.  It  is  better  than  either 
of  these  or  any  other  concentrated  fertilizer,  from  the 


MANURES.  37 

fact  of  its  mechanical  action  on  the  land — that  is,  its 
effect,  from  its  light,  porous  nature,  in  aerating  and  pul- 
verizing the  soil.  Guano,  bone  dust,  or  other  fine  com- 
mercial fertilizers  act  only  as  such,  without  in  any  way 
assisting  to  improve  what  may  be  called  the  mechanical 
condition  of  the  soil. 

All  experienced  cultivators  know  that  the  first  year 
that  land  is  broken  up  from  sod,  if  proper  culture  has 
been  given  by  thorough  plowing  and  harrowing  (pro- 
vided the  land  is  drained  artificially  or  naturally,  so  as  to 
bo  free  from  water  and  relieve  it  from  "sourness"),  the 
land  is  in  better  condition  for  any  crop  than  land  that 
has  been  continuously  cropped  without  a  rest.  The 
market  gardeners  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  are  now 
so  well  convinced  of  this  that  when  twenty  acres  are 
under  cultivation  at  least  five  acres  are  continually  kept 
in  grain,  clover,  or  grass,  to  be  broken  up  successively 
every  second  or  third  year,  so  as  to  bring  the  land  into 
the  condition  that  nothing  else  but  rotted,  pulverized  sod 
will  accomplish.  This  is  done  in  cases  where  land  is  as 
valuable  as  $500  per  acre,  experience  having  proved  that 
with  one-quarter  of  the  land  "resting  under  grass" 
more  profit  can  be  made  than  if  the  whole  were  under 
culture. 

When  the  rotation  by  placing  a  portion  of  the  land 
under  grass  cannot  be  done,  then  it  ig  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  use  stable  manure,  at  least  to  some  extent, 
if  the  best  results  are  desired,  for  continuous  crop- 
ping of  the  soil.  "Where  concentrated  fertilizers  only 
are  used,  they  will  not  continue  to  give  satisfactory  re- 
sults after  the  grass  roots  or  other  organic  matter  has 
passed  from  the  soil,  all  of  which  will  usually  be  entirely 
gone  by  the  third  or  fourth  year  after  breaking  up.  I 
have  long  held  the  opinion  that  the  idea  of  lands  having 
been  permanently  exhausted  by  tobacco  or  other  crops  is 
a  fallacy.  What  gives  rise  to  this  belief,  I  think,  is  the 


38  GARDE^IKG   FOR   PROFIT. 

fact  that  when  lands  are  first  broken  up  from  the  forest 
or  meadow  lands,  for  three  or  four  years  the  organic 
matter  in  the  soil — the  roots  of  grasses,  leaves,  etc. — not 
only  serves  to  feed  the  crops,  but  it  keeps  the  soil  in  a 
better  state  of  pulverization,  or  what  might  be  called 
aerated  condition,  than  when  in  the  course  of  cropping 
for  a  few  years  it  has  passed  away.  Stable  manure  best 
supplies  this  want  ;  but  on  farm  lands  away  from  towns, 
it  is  not  often  that  enough  can  be  obtained  to  have  any 
appreciable  effect  on  the  soil,  and  hence  artificial  fertiliz- 
ers are  resorted  to,  which  often  fail,  not  from  any  fault 
in  themselves,  but  from  the  fact  that,  exerting  little  me- 
chanical influence  on  the  land,  it  becomes  compacted  or 
sodden,  the  air  cannot  get  to  the  roots,  and  hence  failure 
or  partial  failure  of  crop.  Thus  we  see  that  to  have  the 
best  results  from  commercial  fertilizers  it  is  of  great  im- 
portance to  have  the  land  rested  by  a  crcp  of  grain  or 
grass  every  three  or  four  years. 

The  best  known  fertilizers  of  commerce  are  Peruvian 
guano  and  bone  dust,  though  there  are  numbers  of  oth- 
ers, such  as  fish  guano,  dry  blood  fertilizer,  blood  and 
bone  fertilizer,  with  the  various  brands  of  superphos- 
phates, all  of  more  or  less  value  for  fertilizing  purposes. 
It  is  useless  to  go  over  the  list,  and  we  will  confine  our- 
selves to  the  relative  merits  of  pure  Peruvian  guano  and 
pure  bone  dust.  Guano  at  $65  per  ton  we  consider  rela- 
tively equal  in  value  to  bone  dust  at  $40  per  ton,  for  in  the 
lower  priced  article  we  find  that  we  have  to  increase  the 
quantity  to  produce  the  same  result.  Whatever  kind  of 
concentrated  fertilizer  is  used,  we  find  it  well  repays  the 
labor  to  prepare  it  in  the  following  manner  before  it  is 
used  on  the  land  : 

To  every  bushel  of  guano  or  bone  dust  add  three  bush- 
els of  either  leaf  mold  from  the  woods,  well  pulverized 
dry  muck,  sweepings  from  a  paved  street,  stable  manure 
so  rotted  as  to  be  like  pulverized  muck,  or,  if  neither  of 


MANURES.  39 

these  can  be  obtained,  any  loamy  soil  will  do ;  but  in 
every  case  the  material  to  mix  the  fertilizers  with  must 
be  fairly  dry  and  never  in  a  condition  of  mud,  the  mean- 
ing of  the  operation  being  that  the  material  used  is  to  act 
as  a  temporary  absorbent  for  the  fertilizer.  The  com- 
post must  be  thoroughly  mixed,  and  if  guano  is  used,  it 
being  sometimes  lumpy,  it  must  be  broken  up  to  dust 
before  being  mixed  with  the  absorbent. 

The  main  object  of  this  operation  is  for  the  better  sep- 
aration and  division  of  the  fertilizer,  so  that  when  ap- 
plied to  the  soil  it  can  be  more  readily  distributed.  Our 
experiments  have  repeatedly  shown  that  this  method  of 
using  concentrated  fertilizers  materially  increases  their 
value — probably  twenty  per  cent.  The  mixing  should  be 
done  a  few  months  previous  to  spring,  and  it  should,  after 
being  mixed,  be  packed  away  in  barrels  and  kept  in  some 
dry  shed  or  cellar  until  wanted  for  use.  Thus  mixed,  it 
is  particularly  beneficial  on  lawns  or  other  grass  lands. 
The  quantity  of  concentrated  fertilizer  to  be  used  is  often 
perplexing  to  beginners.  We  give  the  following  as  the 
best  rules  we  know,  all  derived  from  our  own  practice  in 
growing  fruits,  flowers  and  vegetables  : 

Taking  guano  as  a  basis,  we  would  recommend  for  all 
vegetable  and  fruit  crops,  if  earliness  and  good  quality 
are  desired,  the  use  of  not  less  than  1,200  pounds  per 
acre  (an  acre  contains  4,840  square  yards),  mixed  with 
two  tons  of  either  of  the  materials  before  recommended. 
Of  bone  dust  about  one  ton  per  acre  should  be  used,  mixed 
with  three  tons  of  soil  or  of  the  other  materials  named. 

For  market  garden  vegetable  crops  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  this  quantity  of  guano  or  bone  dust  is  har- 
rowed in,  after  twenty-five  or  thirty  tons  of  stable  manure 
have  first  been  plowed  in,  so  that  the  actual  cost  of 
manuring  each  acre  is  not  less  than  $100,  and  often  $150. 

When  fertilizers  are  used  alone,  without  being  mixed 
with  the  absorbent,  they  should  be  sown  on  the  soil,  after 


4:0  GARDENING    TOE   PROFIT. 

plowing  or  spading,  about  thick  enough  to  jusfc  color  the 
surface,  or  about  as  thick  as  sand  or  sawdust  is  strewn  on 
a  floor.  This  quantity  is  ucel  broadcast  by  sowing  on 
the  ground  after  plowing  and  deeply  and  thoroughly  har- 
rowing it  in  ;  when  applied  in  hills  or  drills,  from  100  to 
300  pounds  should  be  used  to  the  acre,  according  to  the 
distance  of  these  apart,  mixing  well  with  the  soil. 

When  well-rotted  stable  manure  is  procurable  at  a  cost 
not  to  exceed  $3  per  ton,  delivered  on  the  ground, 
whether  from  horses  or  cows,  it  is  preferable  to  any  con- 
centrated fertilizer.  Eotted  stable  manure,  to  produeo 
full  crops,  should  be  spread  on  the  ground  not  less  than 
three  inches  thick  (our  market  gardeners  use  from  fifty 
to  seventy-five  tons  of  well-rotted  stable  manure  per  acre, 
when  no  concentrated  fertilizer  is  used),  and  should  be 
thoroughly  mixed  with  the  soil  by  plowing. 

The  manure  from  the  chicken  or  pigeon  house  is  very 
valuable,  and  when  composted  as  directed  for  bone  dust 
and  guano,  has  at  least  one-third  their  value.  Castor-oil 
pomace  is  also  valuable  in  about  the  same  proportion. 

PouDRETTEisthe  name  given  to  a  commercial  fertilizer, 
the  composition  of  which  is  night  soil,  and  dried  swamp 
muck  or  charcoal  dust  as  an  absorbent.  It  is  sold  at 
about  $12  to  $15  per  ton,  and  at  that  price  may  be  equal 
in  value,  if  too  much  of  the  absorbing  material  is  not 
used,  to  bone  dust  at  $40  per  ton. 

SALT  has  little  or  no  value  as  a  fertilizer,  except  as  a 
medium  of  absorbing  moisture  ;  for  experience  shows 
that  soils  impregnated  by  saline  matter  are  no  more  fer- 
tile than  those  inland  out  of  the  reach  of  such  an  atmos- 
phere. 

MUCK  is  the  name  given  to  a  deposit  usually  largely 
composed  of  vegetable  matter^  found  in  swamps  or  in 
hollows  in  forest  lands.  Of  itself  it  has  usually  but  little 
of  fertilizing  property.,  but?  from  its  porous  nature,  when 


MAXUEES.  41 

dry,  it  is  one  of  the  best  materials  to  use  to  mix  with 
other  manures  as  an  absorbent.  It  can  be  used  to  great; 
advantage  if  dug  out  in  winter  and  piled  up  in  narrow 
ridges,  so  that  it  can  be  partly  dried  and  "sweetened" 
in  summer.  Thus  dried,  if  mixed  with  stable  manure,  or, 
better  yet,  thrown  in  layers  of  three  or  four  inches  thick  in 
the  cattle  or  hog  yard,  where  it  can  be  trodden  down  and 
incorporated  with  the  manure,  the  value  of  the  manure 
thus  treated  will  be  nearly  doubled. 

In  reply  to  questions  that  I  receive  by  the  hundred 
each  season,  asking  whether  or  not  it  is  worth  while  to 
use  the  so-called  special  fertilizers  claimed  to  be  suited  to 
the  wants  of  particular  plants,  such  as  the  "  Potato  Fer- 
tilizer," "  Cabbage  Fertilizer,"  "  Strawberry  Fertilizer," 
"  Eose  Fertilizer,"  etc.,  I  can^nly  give  this  general  an- 
swer, that  while  these  manures  may  suit  the  plants  they 
are  claimed  to  be  "  special "  for,  I  have  little  doubt  that 
either  one  would  suit  equally  well  for  the  others,  or  if  all 
were  mixed  together,  the  mixture  would  be  found  to  an- 
swer the  purpose  for  each  kind  of  crop  just  as  well  as  if 
kept  separate  and  applied  to  the  crop  it  was  named  for. 
These  hair-splitting  distinctions  are  not  recognized  to  be 
of  any  value  by  one  practical  farmer  or  gardener  in  a  hun- 
dred; for  a  little  experience  soon  shows  that  pure  bone  dust 
or  well-rotted  stable  manure  answers  for  all  crops  nearly 
alike,  no  matter  what  they  are.  These- special  fertilizers 
for  special  crops  are  gradually  increasing  in  number,  so 
that  some  dealers  now  offer  fifty  kinds,  different  brands 
being  offered  for  plants  belonging  to  the  same  family. 
There  is  an  ignorant  assumption  in  this,  and  any  culti- 
vator of  ordinary  intelligence  cannot  fail  to  see  that  the 
motive  in  so  doing  is  to  strike  as  broad  a  swath  as  possi- 
ble, so  that  a  larger  number  of  customers  may  be  reached 
and  a  higher  price  obtained. 

One  of  my  neighbors  called  the  other  day  and  informed 
me  that  his  Lettuce  crop,  in  his  greenhouse,  was  failing. 


42  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

and  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  the  "Lettuce  Fertilizer" 
that  was  offered  in  a  circular  that  contained  some  fifty 
other  "specials."  An  inquiry  developed  the  fact  that  he 
had  been  keeping  his  Lettuce  crop  at  a  night  temperature 
of  sixty-five  degrees  in  January — ten  to  fifteen  degrees  too 
high  for  the  welfare  of  the  crop — so  that  there  was  just 
about  as  much  chance  of  the  special  "  Lettuce  Fertilizer  " 
helping  the  crop  as  there  would  be  of  giving  health  to  a 
man  in  the  last  stages  of  consumption  by  feeding  him 
beef-steak.  I  merely  mention  this  incident  to  show  how, 
and  in  what  manner,  the  sellers  of  these  special  ferti- 
lizers obtain  customers,  even  among  practical  gardeners. 

LIME  OR  MARL. — I  have  always  held  that  lime  and 
marl  have  no  direct  fertilizing  properties  in  themselves, 
except  so  far  as  they  act  to  correct  the  acidity  of  the  soil, 
or  to  lighten  heavy  soils,  or  to  give  adhesiveness  to  soils 
that  are  too  light.  In  fact,  I  believe  they  are  valuable 
for  their  mechanical  effects  on  almost  every  soil,  unless 
such  as  lie  along  the  sea  coast,  and  in  some  cases  a  con- 
siderable distance  inland  ;  on  such  soils  there  is  no  bene- 
fit to  be  derived  from  the  application  of  lime.  In  apply- 
ing lime  dust — whether  from  limestone  or  oyster  shells — 
it  should  be  put  on  after  plowing,  at  the  rate  of  not  less 
than  100  bushels  per  acre,  and  then  well  harrowed  in,  so 
as  to  thoroughly  mix  it  with  the  soil  for  four  or  five 
inches  below  the  surface. 

GAS  LIME  is  often  very  liberally  offered  by  the  gas 
companies  ;  it  is  a  dangerous  material  and  had  better 
never  be  touched  by  the  market  gardener.  I  well  re- 
member applying  it  to  a  piece  of  ground,  which  was  so 
poisoned  by  the  noxious  gases  that  it  did  not  regain  its 
fertility  for  three  years. 

COTTON-SEED  MEAL,  mixed  with  one-third  of  any 
high  grade  of  phosphate,  is  almost  exclusively  used  by 
the  market  gardeners  of  Charleston  and  Savannah,  where 


MANURES.  43 

the  mixture  costs  about  $30  per  ton.  Plowed  in  broad- 
cast, at  the  rate  of  from  two  to  three  tons  per  acre,  it  is 
believed  to  be,  for  that  section,  the  best  and  cheapest 
fertilizer  of  any  kind. 

PLASTER  is  one  of  those  fertilizers  which  have  a  re- 
markable effect  upon  some  soils,  while  in  other  places  it 
has  no  effect  at  all.  Where  the  soils  are  benefited  by  it, 
it  is  of  course  advisable  to  use  it.  Its  greatest  effect  is 
upon  clover,  and  where  clover  is  used  as  a  means  of  im- 
proving land,  plaster  is  indispensable.  It  is  one  of  the 
cheapest  of  all  fertilizers  and  should  by  all  means  be  used 
where  it  is  beneficial. 

WOOD  ASHES  are  largely  used  by  farmers  as  a  top- 
dressing  for  meadows,  spread  on  at  the  rate  of  fifty 
bushels  per  acre.  The  leached  ashes  that  are  brought  to 
New  York  by  the  boat  load,  are  sold  at  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  cents  per  bushel,  and,  of  late  years,  some  of  our 
gardeners  have  been  using  them  instead  of  bone  dust  or 
guano  as  an  addition  to  stable  manure,  harrowing  them 
in  after  plowing  at  the  rate  of  from  150  to  200  bushels 
per  acre  ;  a  lesser  quantity  (say  one  half)  of  unleached 
ashes  would  answer  the  same  purpose. 

GREEN  MANURING. — The  practice  of  growing  crops 
for  the  purpose  of  plowing  them  under  to  fertilize  the 
soil  is  often  turned  to  very  great  advantage.  To  procure 
an  adequate  supply  of  manure  is  often  a  very  costly  pro- 
cess. But  a  crop  that  may  be  easily  grown  in  a  few 
weeks,  and  then  turned  under,  may  furnish  to  the  soil 
as  much  fertilizing  matter  as  eight  or  ten  tons  of  ma- 
nure ;  and  the  process  may  often  be  repeated  two  or  three 
times  in  one  year.  For  instance,  if  land  is  plowed  in 
October  and  sown  to  rye,  the  rye  may  be  turned  under 
in  May  or  June,  and  corn  may  be  planted.  This  will  be 
in  full  growth  early  in  August,  when  it  may  also  be 
turned  under,  furnishing  ten  or  twelve  tons  more  of 


44  GARDENING    FOE    PROFIT. 

valuable  matter.  In  turning  under  so  tall  a  crop  as  corn 
or  rye  the  plow  should  be  run  across  the  rows,  and  a 
heavy  chain  looped  from  the  plow  beam,  just  ahead  of 
the  standard,  to  the  land  side  end  of  the  inner  whiffle- 
tree.  This  loop  drags  in  the  furrow,  so  as  to  catch  the 
falling  corn  or  rye,  and  pulls  it  down  and  into  the  fur- 
row so  that  the  soil  covers  it.  It  should  then  be  smoothed 
down  with  the  back  of  the  ordinary  harrow  or  by  the 
shortened  blades  of  the  Acme  Harrow,  so  as  to  fill  up  the 
crevices,  and  thus  quickly  induce  the  rotting  of  the  green 
crop. 


CHAPTER     VII. 
THE  USE  AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  COLD  FRAMES. 

We  use  cold  frames  for  preserving  Cauliflower,  Cab- 
bage and  Lettuce  plants  during  the  winter,  and  the  for- 
warding of  Lettuce  and  Cucumbers  in  spring  and  summer. 

To  make  the  matter  as  clear  as  possible,  we  will  sup- 
pose that  the  market  gardener,  having  five  or  six  acres  of 
land,  has  provided  himself  with  100  of  three  by  six  foot 
sashes.  The  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  or  Lettuce  plants, 
which  they  are  intended  to  cover  in  winter,  should  be 
sown  in  the  open  garden  from  the  15th  to  the  20th  of 
September  in  the  latitude  of  New  York  ;  farther  north, 
earlier ;  farther  south,  later.  This  matter  of  time  of 
sowing  is  of  vital  importance ;  for  if  too  early,  many  of 
them  will  run  to  seed  and  of  course  are  useless  ;  again, 
if  sowing  is  done  too  late,  cold  weather  sets  in  and  the 
plants  have  not  time  to  get  strong  enough  to  stand  the 
winter.  The  Early  Jersey  Wakefield  is  the  variety  used 
almost  exclusively  for  raising  cold  frame  plants.  Our 
famous  "Early  Summer  Cabbage"  i.°  never  so  safe  to 


USE   AND   MANAGEMENT   OF   COLD   FRAMES.  45 

carry  over  in  cold  frames,  unless,  indeed,  it  is  sown  very 
late  ;  for  example,  when  we  sow  the  Wakefield  here  on 
the  15th  of  September,  the  Early  Summer  is  not  sown 
until  ten  or  fifteen  days  later. 

Millions  of  this  favorite  variety  for  the  South  have 
been  lost  by  running  to  seed  from  having  been  sown  too 
early.  On  this  subject  I  will  give  my  views  at  length  in 
another  portion  of  this  chapter. 

When  the  young  Cabbage  plants  are  of  sufficient  size, 
which  they  will  be  in  about  a  month  from  the  time  of 
sowing,  they  must  be  repianted  in  the  boxes  or  frames, 
to  be  covered  by  the  sashes  as  winter  advances. 

The  boxes  or  frames  we  use  are  simply  two  boards, 
running  parallel,  and  nailed  to  posts  to  secure  them  in 
line.  The  one  for  the  back  is  ten  or  twelve  inches  wide, 
and  that  for  the  front  seven  or  eight  inches,  to  give  the 
sashes,  when  placed  upon  them,  pitch  enough  to  carry 
off  rain,  and  to  better  catch  the  sun's  rays.  The  length 
of  the  frame  or  box  may  be  regulated  by  the  position  in 
which  it  is  placed  ;  a  convenient  length  is  fifty  or  sixty 
feet,  requiring  eighteen  or  twenty  sashes. 

Shelter  from  the  northwest  is  of  great  importance,  and 
if  the  ground  is  not  sheltered  naturally,  a  board  fence  six 
feet  in  height  is  almost  indispensable.  The  sashes  should 
face  south  or  southeast.  Each  three  by  six  foot  sash  will 
hold  five  hundred  plants  of  Cabbage  or. Cauliflower,  and 
about  eight  hundred  of  Lettuce.  These  numbers  will 
determine  the  proper  distance  apart  for  those  who  have 
not  had  experience.  It  should  never  be  lost  sight  of  that 
these  plants  are  almost  hardy,  and  consequently  will 
stand  severe  freezing  without  injury,  but  to  insure  this 
condition  they  must  be  treated  as  their  nature  demands  ; 
that  is,  after  planting  the  Cabbage,  Lettuce  or  Cauli- 
flower— which  will  be  about  the  middle  or  end  of  Octo- 
ber— the  sashes  need  not  be  put  on  for  a  month  or  six 
weeks  after,  unless  a  very  cold  spell  comes  for  a 


46  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

day  or  two,  which  sometimes  happens  ;  but  if  they 
have  to  be  thus  temporarily  protected,  be  careful 
to  strip  off  the  sashes  again,  so  as  to  harden  the 
plants  for  cold  weather.  In  cold  weather,  even  on 
clear  winter  days,  when  the  thermometer  marks  fifteen 
or  twenty  degrees  in  the  shade,  they  must  be  abundantly 
aired,  either  by  tilting  up  the  sash  at  the  back,  or,  better 
still,  when  the  day  is  mild,  by  stripping  the  sash  off  en- 
tirely. With  this  hardening  process  there  is  no  necessity 
for  any  other  covering  but  the  sash.  In  our  locality  we 
occasionally  have  the  thermometer  from  five  to  ten  de- 
grees below  zero  for  a  day  or  two  together,  yet  in  all  our 
time  we  have  never  used  mats,  shutters,  or  any  covering 
except  the  glass,  and  I  do  not  think  we  lose  more  than 
two  per  cent.,  although  in  sections  where  the  thermom- 
eter falls  to  twenty  or  thirty  degrees  below  zero,  mats  or 
shutters  will  be  necessary.  They  rarely  pass  through  a 
winter,  however,  without  having  the  stems  split  by  the 
frost,  even  with  us,  but  that  does  no  injury,  provided 
when  planting  out  in  the  open  field  they  are  so  set  that 
the  split  part  is  in  the  ground.  Cauliflower  is  more  ten- 
der than  Cabbage  or  Lettuce,  and  the  sashes  must  be 
covered  with  mats.  Some  may  think  that  the  raising  of 
plants  in  this  manner  must  involve  considerable  trouble, 
but  when  they  are  informed  that  the  Cabbage  and  Let- 
tuce plants  so  raised  and  planted  out  in  March  or  April, 
not  infrequently  bring  $600  per  acre  before  the  middle  of 
July,  giving  us  time  to  follow  up  with  Celery  for  a  second 
crop,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  practice  is  not  unprofitable. 
But  we  have  not  yet  done  with  the  use  of  the  sashes  ; 
to  make  them  still  available,  spare  boxes  or  frames  are 
made,  in  all  respects  similar  to  those  in  use  for  the  Cab- 
bage plants.  These  frames  should  be  covered  up  during 
winter  with  sferaw  or  leaves  in  depth  sufficient  to  keep 
the  ground  from  freezing,  so  that  they  may  be  got  at  and 
be  in  condition  to  be  planted  with  Lettuce  by  the  end  of 


USE   AND    MANAGEMENT    OF   COLD   FRAMES.  47 

February  or  the  first  of  March.  By  this  time  the  weather 
is  always  mild  enough  to  allow  the  sashes  to  be  taken  off 
from  the  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  (if  they  have  been 
properly  hardened),  and  they  are  now  transferred  to  the 
spare  frames  to  cover  and  forward  the  Lettuce.  Under 
each  sash  we  plant  fifty  Lettuce  plants,  having  the  ground 
first  well  enriched  by  digging  in  about  three  inches  of 
well-rotted  manure.  The  management  of  the  Lettuce 
for  heading  is  in  all  respects  similar  to  that  used  in  pre- 
serving the  plants  in  winter  ;  the  only  thing  to  be  at- 
tended to  being  to  give  abundance  of  air,  and  on  the 
occasion  of  rain  to  remove  the  sashes  entirely,  so  that 
the  ground  may  receive  a  good  soaking,  which  will  tend 
to  promote  a  more  rapid  and  luxuriant  growth. 

The  crop  of  Lettuce  is  fit  for  market  in  about  six  weeks 
from  time  of  planting,  which  is  always  two  or  three  weeks 
sooner  than  that  from  the  open  ground.  The  average 
price  for  all  planted  is  about  $4  per  hundred  at  whole- 
sale, so  that  again,  with  little  trouble,  our  crop  gives  us 
$2  per  sash  in  six  weeks. 

I  believe  this  second  use  of  the  sash  is  not  much  prac- 
ticed outside  of  this  district,  most  gardeners  having  the 
opinion  that  the  winter  plants  of  Cabbage  or  Lettuce 
would  be  injured  by  their  complete  exposure  to  the 
weather  at  as  early  a  date  as  the  first  of  March.  In 
fact,  here  we  have  still  a  few  old  fogies  among  us,  whose 
timidity  or  obstinacy  in  this  matter  prevents  them 
from  making  this  double  use  of  their  sashes,  which  there- 
by causes  them  an  annual  loss  of  $2  per  sash,  and  as  some 
of  them  have  over  a  thousand  sashes  the  loss  is  of  some 
magnitude. 

In  my  own  practice  I  have  made  my  sashes  do  double 
duty  in  this  way  for  fifteen  years  ;  the  number  when  I 
first  started  being  fifty,  increasing  until  at  one  time  I 
had  3,000  sashes  in  use.  Yet  in  all  that  time  I  have 
only  once  had  my  plants  so  exposed  injured,  and  then 


48  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

only  a  limited  number,  which  I  had  neglected  to  suf- 
ficiently harden  by  airing. 

We  have  still  another  use  of  the  sashes  to  detail.  Our 
Lettuce  being  cut  out  by  middle  of  May,  we  then  plant 
five  or  six  seeds  of  the  Improved  White  Spine  Cucum- 
ber in  the  center  of  each  sash.  At  that  season  they 
come  up  -at  once,  protected  by  the  covering  at  night. 
The  sashes  are  left  on  until  the  middle  of  June,  when 
the  crop  begins  to  be  sold.  The  management  of  the  Cu- 
cumber crop  as  regards  airing  is  hardly  different  from 
that  of  the  Lettuce,  except  in  its  early  stage  of  growth  it 
requires  to  be  kept  warmer.  Being  a  tropical  plant,  it  is 
very  impatient  of  being  chilled,  but  in  warm  days  airing 
should  never  b3  neglected,  as  the  concentration  of  the 
sun's  rays  on  the  glass  would  raise  the  temperature  to  an 
extent  to  injure,  if  not  entirely  destroy,  the  crop.  This 
third  use  of  the  sashes  I  have  never  yet  made  so  profit- 
able as  the  second,  because  the  crop  has  to  compete 
against  Southern  grown  Cucumbers,  although  it  has  al- 
ways been  sufficient  to  make  it  well  worth  the  labor. 

There  are  a  few  men  here  who  make  a  profitable  busi- 
ness from  the  use  of  sashes  only,  having  no  ground  except 
that  occupied  by  the  frames.  In  this  way  the  winter  crop 
of  Cauliflower  or  Cabbage  plants  is  sold  at  an  average  of  $3 
per  sash  in  March  or  April  ;  the  Lettuce*at  $2  per  sash 
in  May,  and  the  Cucumbers  at  $1  per  sash  in  June, 
making  an  average  of  $6  per  sash  for  the  season  ;  and  it 
must  be  remembered  that  these  are  wholesale  prices,  and 
that,  too,  in  the  market  of  New  York,  where  there  is 
great  competition.  There  is  no  doubt  that  in  hundreds 
of  cities  and  towns  of  the  Union  the  same  use  of  sashes 
would  double  or  treble  these  results. 

Cold  frames  are  also  used  for  sowing  the  seeds  of  Cab- 
bage, Cauliflower  and  Lettuce,  instead  of  hot-beds.  If 
the  frames  are  closely  shut  up  and  covered  at  night  by 
mats,  the  plants  will  be  but  little  later  than  those  from 


USE   AKD   MANAGEMENT   OF   COLD   FRAMES.  49 

the  hot-beds,  and  are  jraised  with  far  less  trouble.  The 
time  of  sowing  is  about  February  1st.  In  sections  of 
the  country  where  these  plants  cannot  be  set  out 
before  May  it  is  useless  to  raise  them  in  hot-beds.  On 
the  other  hand,  in  the  Southern  States,  where  in  the 
months  of  February  and  March  there  are  no  frosts,  by 
adopting  the  same  care  in  covering  up  at  night,  the 
seeds  of  Tomatoes,  Peppers  and  Egg-plants,  and  the 
sprouts  from  Sweet  Potatoes,  can  be  forwarded  with  much 
less  trouble  in  the  cold  frames  than  in  the  hot-bed. 

I  am  sometimes  asked  the  question,  how  much  freez- 
ing and  thawing  plants  of  Lettuce,  Cabbages,  etc.,  will 
stand  without  being  destroyed.  I  have  always  taken  the 
ground  that  the  freezing  and  thawing,  instead  of  being 
injurious,  is  a  necessity  for  their  safety.  In  doing  so  I 
know  I  run  in  direct  opposition  to  a  large  majority  of 
my  brethren,  but  the  experience  of  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  yearly  increasing  in  extent,  assures  me  that  I 
am  correct,  and  I  am  further  confirmed  in  my  opinion  by 
knowing  that  there  is  not  a  market  gardener  in  this 
vicinity  but  whose  practice  in  the  management  of  cold 
frames  is  the  same  as  my  own  ;  though  if  the  question 
was  asked  some  of  them  if  thawing  and  freezing  did  not 
injure  plants,  t^ie  answer  might  be  in  the  affirmative,  so 
universally  has  the  dogma  been  acepted. 

Again  :  "  How  long  can  frozen  plants  be  kept  from 
the  light  when  covered  up  with  snow  ? "  Much  would 
depend  on  atmospheric  conditions.  If -the  plants  were 
hard  frozen  when  the  snow  covered  up  the  sashes,  then 
they  might  safely  remain  three  or  four  weeks  thus  cov- 
ered, without  light ;  but  if  the  ground  was  not  frozen 
when  the  snow  fell,  then  the  snow  must  be  removed 
from  the  sashes  in  three  or  four  days,  unless  the  fall  has 
been  so  slight  that  light  can  get  through  to  the  plants. 


50  GARDENING-   FOR   PROFIT. 


PROTECTING   CLOTH    IN    LIEU   OF   SASHES. 

In  many  sections  of  the  country  it  is  difficult  to  get 
sashes,  and  with  many,  too,  their  cost  is  such  as  to  make 
them  unattainable.  To  such  the  use  of  this  new  protect- 
ing cloth  will  be  a  great  boon,  particularly  in  the  South- 
ern States,  where  only  a  slight  protection  is  needed  to 
ward  off  frost  for  a  few  nights.  In  the  winter  of  1886 
millions  of  Cabbage  and  Cauliflower  plants  were  lost  in 
Georgia,  South  Carolina  and  Florida  that  might  have 
been  saved  by  the  use  of  this  cloth  for  protection.  In 
our  experiments  with  it  the  past  winter,  we  found  that 
while  the  thermometer  stood  at  twenty-five  degrees  above 
zero,  under  this  covering  the  temperature  was  thirty 
degrees  above  zero,  while  under  the  protection  of  sashes 
it  was  thirty-two  degrees,  or  but  two  degrees  more. 
All  experienced  cultivators  know  that  the  difference  of 
five  degrees  in  temperature  in  most  cases  would  save 
nearly  all  the  plants  exposed  in  the  open  air  from  the 
danger  of  injury  by  frost.  Could  the  orange  trees  of 
Florida  the  past  winter  have  been  enveloped  in  protect- 
ing cloth,  I  doubt  if  a  bud  would  have  been  injured. 
Of  course,  in  that  case,  it  would  have  been  impractic- 
able to  do  so  ;  but  it  is  easily  practicable  to  protect  low- 
growing  plants,  such  as  Cabbage  plants  or  fruiting  Straw- 
berry crops.  A  gentleman  from  Florida  told  me  last 
winter  that  he  has  repeatedly  saved  his  crop  of  Straw- 
berries— covering  an  acre  while  in  bloom — from  early 
frost,  by  the  use  of  ordinary  cotton  cloth,  thereby  vastly 
increasing  the  value  of  his  crop.  This  protecting  cloth, 
while  being  no  cheaper  than  ordinary  grades  of  cotton 
cloth,  has  the  advantage  in  being  so  prepared  that  it  is 
mildew-proof,  and  with  ordinary  care  will  last  for  five 
years.  It  is  made  in  yard  widths  and  can  be  shaped 
for  use  according  to  circumstances.  Probably  the  sim- 
plest plan  is  to  tack  it  to  a  light  frame  three  by  six 


USE   AND   MANAGEMENT   OF   COLD   FRAMES.  51 

feet  and  use  it  just  as  sashes  are  used.  Such  "  sashes," 
made  of  protecting  cloth,,  would  cost  not  more  than 
twenty  cen Is  each,  while  glass  sashes  cost  (to  say  noth- 
ing of  expense  in  freighting)  $2  each.  Besides,  in  the 
hands  of  inexperienced  cultivators,  the  protecting  cloth 
is  safest,  for  if  this  covering  is  left  on  in  the  day-time 
when  the  sun  is  shining,  there  is  comparatively  little  rise 
of  temperature  underneath  it,  while  it  is  well  known 
that  if  ventilation  of  frames  covered  by  glass  sashes  is 
not  carefully  attended  to,  the  crop  beneath  may  be 
quickly  ruined  by  the  sun's  rays  acting  on  the  glass  and 
raising  the  temperature. 

The  past  spring  (beginning  about  middle  of  March), 
we  covered  a  lot  of  Cabbage  plants  with  the  protecting 
cloth  for  three  weeks — never  once  taking  it  oil  night 
or  day — and  the  plants  were  nearly  as  good  as  those 
covered  by  gashes,  where  daily  attention  had  been  given 
to  ventilation.  Not  only  will  this  cloth  be  found  most 
useful  in  the  winter  in  the  Southern  States,  to  guard 
against  sudden  snaps  of  frost,  but  to  such  as  raise  spring 
plants  of  Cabbages,  Lettuce,  Cauliflowers  or  Tomatoes, 
requiring  protection  in  spring  at  the  North,  it  will  be 
found  an  excellent  substitute  for  sashes.  I  do  not  rec- 
ommend the  use  of  the  protecting  cloth  in  lieu  of  sashes 
in  the  winter  months ;  it  would  not  answer  in  heavy 
snow.  But  for  all  spring  work,  from  March  to  June,  it 
will  in  most  cases  answer  every  purpose. 

SPRING    RAISING    OF    CABBAGE,     CAULIFLOWER   AND 
LETTUCE. 

The  question  is  put  to  me  many  hundreds  of  times 
every  season  as  to  what  is  the  best  method  to  produce 
plants  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce  for  early 
spring  planting.  Although  we  still  grow  several  hun- 
dred thousands  of  fall  sown  plants  annually  (which  are 
wintered  over  in  cold  frames),  yet  increased  experience 


52  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

appears  to  show  that  plants  grown  in  the  manner  below 
described,  which  we  have  practiced  for  the  past  five 
years,  can  be  done  cheaper,  and,  at  the  same  time,  will 
produce  nearly  as  good  plants  as  by  the  old  method  of 
wintering  over  in  cold  frames. 

For  our  latitude,  we  make  our  first  sowing  on  February 
1st  in  our  greenhouses,  where  the  temperature  will  aver- 
age about  seventy  degrees ;  that  is,  about  sixty  degrees 
at  night,  and  about  eighty  degrees  during  the  day.  Where 
there  is  not  the  convenience  of  a  greenhouse,  a  hot-bed 
will  answer  the  same  purpose.  A  hot-bed,  made  with 
manure,  about  two  feet  deep,  in  a  proper  manner,  pro- 
duces just  about  the  same  temperature  and  general  con- 
ditions as  will  a  well-appointed  greenhouse.  We  find  it 
more  convenient  to  sow  the  seed  in  shallow  boxes,  which 
are  made  by  cutting  the  ordinary  soap  boxes  into  three 
pieces,  which  gives  us  a  depth  of  about  two  inches  for 
soil  in  each  box.  WTe  use  any  light,  rich  soil  for  the  pur- 
pose, sowing  enough  seed  in  each  box  to  produce  1,000 
or  1,500  plants,  or,  if  grown  in  the  hot-bed  without  the 
box,  each  three  by  six  foot  sash  should  grow  about  5,000 
plants  ;  but  we  find  it  more  convenient  to  use  the  boxes 
than  to  sow  in  the  soil  put  direct  on  the  bench  of  the 
greenhouse,  or  on  the  manure  of  the  hot-bed.  The  plants 
sown  on  February  1  st,  in  a  temperature  averaging  seventy 
degrees,  will  give  plants  fit  to  transplant  in  about  three 
or  four  weeks.  We  then  use  the  same  shallow  boxes, 
putting  in  the  bottom  of  each  about  one  inch  of  well- 
rotted  stable  manure.  Over  that  we  place  an  inch  of  any 
ordinary  light,  rich  soil,  smoothing  it  so  as  to  have  it  as 
level  as  possible.  In  these  boxes,  which  are  fourteen  by 
twenty  inches,  we  put  an  average  of  about  150  plants. 
The  boxes  are  then  taken  direct  to  the  ordinary  cold 
frames,  which,  however,  have  been  protected  with  ma- 
nure, as  it  would  not  do  to  put  the  boxes  of  tender  plants 
on  a  frozen  surface.  It  is  very  easy  to  keep  the  frost 


USE   AND    MANAGEMENT   OF   COLD   FRAMES.  53 

out  of  these  cold  frames  by  putting  on  three  or  four 
inches  of  dry  leaves  or  manure  before  the  soil  freezes  up, 
and  placing  the  sash  on  the  frames  two  or  three  weeks 
before  they  are  to  be  used.  In  this  way  they  will  keep 
perfectly  free  from  frost,  and  can  be  used  at  any  time 
during  the  winter.  The  boxes  should  be  placed  as  close 
to  each  other  in  the  cold  frames  as  they  will  stand  ; 
about  eight  boxes  fills  a  sash,  thus  holding  about  1,200 
plants.  If  the  sun  is  bright,  it  is  well  to  shade  them  for 
a  few  days  until  they  take  root ;  but  the  most  important 
point  of  all  is  to  cover  the  sashes  with  straw  mats  at 
night  so  securely  that  no  frost  will  reach  them  in  the 
cold  frames.  For  the  past  three  years  we  have  each  sea- 
son grown  about  half  a  million  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower 
and  Lettuce  plants  in  this  way,  and  have  had  no  trouble 
to  keep  them  from  freezing  by  carefully  matting  up, 
even  when  the  thermometer  has  reached  zero. 

Plants  sown  on  the  1st  of  February  are  transplanted 
into  the  boxes  about  the  1st  of  March,  and  are  at  once 
placed  in  the  cold  frames,  and  will  be  fine  to  transplant 
to  the  open  ground  anytime  after  the  1st  of  April  if 
they  have  been  carefully  attended  to  by  watering,  airing 
and  protection  from  frost.  As  I  have  before  said,  these 
dates  refer  particularly  to  the  vicinity  of  New  York  City, 
where  we  can  usually  plant  out  in  the  open  ground  all 
kinds  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Let.tuce  plants  about 
April  1st.  If  in  districts  where  they  cannot  be  planted 
out  sooner  than  the  middle  of  April,  then  the  sowing 
should  not  be  made  before  the  loth  of  February,  and  the 
process  of  transplanting,  etc.,  gone  through  as  before 
stated,  so  that  the  plants  will  be  in  condition  to  set  in 
the  open  ground  by  the  15th  of  April.  If  in  sections 
where  Cabbages  cannot  be  planted  in  the  open  ground 
before  the  1st  of  May,  then  the  sowing  should  be  delayed 
until  nearly  the  1st  of  March,  and  the  process  of  trans- 
planting in  the  frames  the  same.  There  are  some  sec- 


54  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

tions  in  the  Southern  States,  of  course,  where  these  di- 
rections would  not  apply,  where  the  sowing  would  need 
to  be  done  as  early,  perhaps,  as  the  1st  of  December ; 
and  as  it  takes  about  two  months  from  the  time  of  sowing 
until  they  are  fit  to  plant  in  the  field,  plants  sown  the 
1st  of  December  in  Southern  States  would  be  fit  to  set 
out  by  February  1st.  It  will  be  understood  that  there 
would  be  no  necessity  for  sowing  in  hot-bed  or  green- 
house in  such  a  climate  as  Florida.  The  protection  of 
glass  in  an  ordinary  cold  frame  would  give  about  the 
same  average  of  temperature  there  in  the  winter  months 
as  we  would  have  in  the  north  by  artificial  heat.  In 
most  of  the  Southern  States,  in  my  opinion,  the  protect- 
ing cloth  before  alluded  to  would  answer  all  the  pur- 
poses of  glass  sashes — and  even  in  the  North,  when  mats 
are  used,  "sashes"  made  of  protecting  cloth  might  be 
used  instead  of  glass.  There  is  another  and  simpler 
process  of  raising  Cabbage  plants  ;  that  is,  by  sowing 
the  seed  in  the  cold  frames  direct.  This  is  done  here 
usually  about  the  15th  of  February  or  1st  of  March, 
in  as  warm  and  sheltered  a  place  as  can  be  found  for 
the  frames.  I  saw  one  of  my  neighbors  have  a  fine 
lot  grown  in  that  way  last  year.  He  had  taken  a  crop 
of  Head  Lettuce  out  of  his  frames  about  the  15th  of 
February,,  dug  and  raked  the  ground  and  sowed  his 
Cabbage  seeds  in  rows  about  five  inches  apart,  sowing- 
enough  to  give  about  1,500  plants  under  each  three  by  six 
sash.  He  matted  up  carefully,  giving  ventilation  to  the 
sashes  whenever  the  weather  would  permit,  and  about 
the  1st  of  April  he  had  fine  plants,  fit  to  go  into  the  open 
ground  right  from  where  they  were  sown  ;  not  quite  so 
good,  of  course,  as  if  they  had  been  transplanted,  but 
still  much  better  than  the  ordinary  hot-bed  plants,  which 
are  generally  too  much  drawn  and  too  tender  to  stand 
cold  weather  until  quite  late  in  the  season.  If  care  is 
used  to  so  cover  up  these  cold  frames  when  the  plants 


USE    AND   MANAGEMENT   OF   COLD   FRAMES.  55 

have  been  transplanted  in  the  boxes,  or  sown  as  described 
above,  there  is  hardly  a  chance  but  that  excellent  plants 
will  be  produced,  as  there  is  far  less  risk  in  the  handling 
of  them  than  those  from  the  hot-bed.  A  very  important 
point  to  always  observe  is,  to  cover  them  so  that  the  frost 
will  not  get  to  them.  In  some  sections  it  might  be 
necessary  to  use  a  light  shutter  placed  over  the  sash,  and 
then  throw  over  them  the  heavy  straw  mats,  at  the  same 
time  covering  up  the  alleys  between  the  frames  to  the  top 
of  the  board  with  dry  leaves  or  ordinary  stable  manure, 
so  as  to  prevent  the  frost  striking  through  the  boards  into 
the  plants.  It  is  difficult  to  explain  these  operations  as 
clearly  by  writing  as  we  would  like,  and  if  any  of  our 
customers  would  take  the  time  to  come  and  see  our  opera- 
tions when  we  are  at  work,  during  the  months  of  Febru- 
ary or  March,  they  can  get  a  better  knowledge  by  see- 
ing them  done  on  the  spot.  Our  greenhouses  and  grounds 
are  within  forty  minutes'  time  of  our  store,  at  Nos.  35 
and  37  Oortlandt  Street,  New  York,  and  if  any  one  wish- 
ing to  see  our  operations  will  call  there,  they  will  be  given 
a  card  giving  directions  how  to  reach  the  place,  which  is 
located  on  the  Jersey  City  Heights,  two  miles  from  the 
Jersey  City  Ferry, 


56  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT, 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
FORMATION  AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  HOT-BEDS. 

Although  we  do  not  consider  hot-beds  so  convenient  or 
even  economical  in  the  long  run  as  the  forcing-houses, 
elsewhere  described,  yet,  as  beginners  in  the  business  are 
usually  not  over-supplied  with  means,  and  as  hot-beds  are 
to  be  had  at  much  less  first  cost  than  the  forcing-houses, 
we  give  a  description  of  their  formation  and  management. 
The  most  convenient  sash  for  the  hot-bed  is  the  three  by 
six  foot  sash,  made  out  of  one  inch  and  a  half  pine,  cost- 
ing here,  at  present  prices,  when  painted  and  glazed, 
from  $2  to  $3  each,  according  to  quality. 

The  frame  for  the  hot-bed  is  usually  made  movable,  in 
lengths  which  three  sashes  will  cover,  making,  when 
complete,  a  box-like  structure,  nine  feet  long  (the  width 
of  three  sashes,  three  feet  wide),  and  six  feet  wide  (the 
length  of  the  sashes)  ;  at  the  bottom  or  lower  part  the 
plank  should  be  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  high  ;  the  back 
or  top,  twenty-four  inches  ;  so  that  when  the  sashes  are 
placed  on,  it  will  give  them  the  necessary  angle  to  receive 
the  sun's  rays  and  throw  off  the  rain.  The  sashes  should 
be  made  as  tight  fitting  as  they  will  easily  work,  and  the 
plank  forming  the  sides  of  the  box  should  be  higli 
enough  to  cover  the  thickness  of  the  sash,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent the  cold  air  from  penetrating.  The  hot-bed  (formed 
on  the  surface)  on  which  the  frame  and  sashes  are  placed 
should  not  be  less  than  four  feet  in  depth  of  hot  manure, 
and  should  project  beyond  the  frame-work  at  least  twelve 
inches  on  all  sides  ;  that  is,  if  the  three  sash-frame  work 
measures  six  feet  by  nine,  the  hot-bed  on  which  it  is  to 
be  placed  should  be  made  eight  feet  by  eleven.  This  is 
one  style  of  hot-bed  frame,  and  the  one  most  commonly 
used  in  private  gardens  ;  but  in  our  market  gardens, 
where  a  large  surface  is  used,  our  necessities  compel  us 


FORMATION    AXD    MANAGEMENT    OF    HOT-BEDS.        57 

to  adopt  a  far  more  economical  mode,  both  in  the  cost  of 
the  frame-work  and  heating  material.  This  is  done 
somewhat  after  the  manner  adopted  for  cold  frames. 
Parallel  excavations  are  made,  usually  in  lengths  of  sixty 
feet,  two  and  a  half  feefc  deep,  and  six  feet  wide ;  the 
sides  of  these  pits  are  boarded  up  with  any  rough  board- 
ing, nailed  to  posts,  and  raised  above  the  surface  eighteen 
inches  at  the  back  and  twelve  inches  at  front.  Strips  are 
stretched  across,  on  which  the  sashes  rest,  wide  enough 
to  receive  the  edges  of  the  two  sashes  where  they  meet, 
and  allow  of  a  piece  of  about  an  inch  in  width  between 
them,  so  that  the  sash  can  be  shoved  backward  and  for- 
ward and  be  kept  in  place  in  giving  air,  etc. 

The  heating  material  to  form  the  hot-bed  should  be 
horse  dung,  fresh  from  the  stables,  adding  to  which,  when 
accessible,  about  one-half  its  bulk  of  leaves  from  the 
woods.  The  manure  and  leaves  should  be  well  mixed 
and  trodden  down  in  successive  layers,  forming  a  conical 
heap,  large  enough  to  generate  fermentation  in  severe 
winter  weather.  Care  must  be  taken  that  the  material  is 
not  allowed  to  lie  scattered  and  get  frozen,  else  great 
delay  will  ensue  before  heat  can  be  generated.  A  few 
days  after  the  pile  has  been  thrown  together,  and  a  lively 
fermentation  has  taken  place,  which  will  be  indicated  by 
the  escape  of  steam  from  the  heap,  it  should  be  again 
turned  over  and  carefully  shaken  out,  formed  again  into 
a  pile,  and  left  until  the  second  fermentation  occurs, 
which  will  be  usually  in  two  or  three  days.  It  may  now 
be  placed  in  the  pit,  or  on  the  surface  for  the  hot-bed 
already  alluded  to,  being  regularly  beaten  down  by  the 
back  of  the  fork,  and  trodden  so  that  it  is  uniformly  of 
the  same  solidity,  and  to  the  required  depth,  two  and  a 
half  feet.  The  sashes  are  now  placed  on  the  frames  and 
kept  close  until  the  heat  rises  ;  at  this  time  a  thermom- 
eter, plunged  in  the  heating  material,  should  indicate 
about  100  degrees  but  this  is  too  hot  for  almost  any  veg- 


58  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

e table  growth,  and  besides  the  rank  steam  given  out  by 
the  fermentation  should  be  allowed  to  escape  before 
operations  of  sowing  or  planting  begin.  Beginners  are 
very  apt  to  be  impatient  in  the  matter  of  hot-beds,  and 
often  lose  the  first  crop  by  planting  or  sowing  before  the 
violent  heat  has  subsided,  which  it  generally  will  do  in 
about  three  days,  if  the  heating  material  has  been  suffi- 
ciently prepared.  As  soon  as  the  thermometer  in  the 
frame  recedes  to  ninety  degrees,  soil  should  be  placed  on 
to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  inches.  This  soil  must  be 
previously  prepared,  of  one- third  well-rotted  manure  (or, 
if  procurable,  rotted  refuse  hops  from  breweries),  and 
two-thirds  good  loam,  spread  regularly  over  the  surface 
of  the  manure  in  the  hot-bed. 

We  use  hot-beds  for  various  purposes.  One  of  the 
most  important  uses  is  the  forcing  of  Lettuce  ;  this  is 
planted  in  the  hot-beds  (from  plants  grown  in  the  cold 
frames),  fifty  under  each  sash,  the  first  crop  by  second 
week  in  January  ;  it  is  covered  at  night  by  straw  mats, 
and  is  usually  marketable  by  the  first  of  March.  At  that 
season  Lettuce  is  always  scarce,  and  will  average,  if 
properly  grown,  $6  per  hundred,  or  $3  per  sash.  The 
crop  is  cut  out  by  the  first  week  in  March,  giving  plenty 
of  time  to  plant  the  same  bed  again  with  Lettuce ;  but 
now  it  is  no  longer  a  hot-bed,  for  by  this  time  the  heat 
from  the  dung  is  exhausted,  and  it  is  treated  exactly  as 
described  in  the  chapter  on  Cold  Frames. 

Another  use  for  the  hot-bed  is  the  raising  of  Tomato, 
and  Egg,  and  Pepper  plants.  The  bed  should  be  pre- 
pared for  these  not  sooner  than  the  second  week  in 
March,  with  the  temperature  about  the  same  as  before 
described.  In  sowing,  it  is  well  to  cover  the  seed,  not 
more  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch,  with  some  very  light 
mold  ;  nothing  is  better  than  leaf  mold  and  sand,  patting 
it  gently  with  the  back  of  the  spade.  From  the  time  the 
seed  is  sown,  attention  to  airing,  during  the  hot  part  of 


FORMATION"    AND    MANAGEMENT   OF    HOT-BEDS.        59 

the  day,  and  covering  up  at  night,  is  essential,  and  also 
that  the  soil  be  never  allowed  to  get  dry.  Water,  how- 
ever, must  be  applied  with  judgment,  as  there  is  just  as 
much  danger  from  soaking  the  soil  too  much.  Water 
should  be  applied  with  a  fine  rose  watering  pot,  and  if 
the  water  is  heated  to  a  temperature  of  eighty  or  ninety 
degrees,  all  the  better.  The  temperature  at  night  may 
range  from  fifty-five  to  sixty-five  degrees,  and  during  the 
day  from  seventy  to  eighty  degrees.  As  soon  as  the 
seedling  plants  are  an  inch  or  two  high,  which  will  be  in 
four  or  five  weeks,  they  must  be  taken  up  and  re-planted 
in  a  more  extensive  hot-bed,  for  they  now  require  room. 
Tomatoes  should  be  planted  of  a  width  to  give  seventy- 
five  or  100  in  each  sash.  Pepper  and  Egg  Plants  do 
better  if  planted  in  small  flower  pots  (three-inch),  as 
they  are  more  difficult  to  transplant ;  they  may  now  also 
be  kept  a  little  closer  in  the  hot-bed  than  the  Tomatoes, 
as  they  require  more  heat.  After  transplanting,  great 
care  is  necessary  that  they  always  be  immediately  watered, 
and  shaded  from  the  sun  until  they  have  struck  root, 
which  will  be  in  two  or  three  days  after  transplanting. 

The  hot-bed  is  also  the  medium  for  procuring  us  Cab- 
bage, Cauliflower  and  Lettuce  plants  for  early  outside 
planting,  when  not  convenient  to  winter  them  over  as 
described  in  the  uses  of  cold  frames.  The  seeds  of  these 
are  sown  about  the  last  week  in  February,  are  treated  in 
all  respects  as  regards  covering  up  at  night  as  the  Toma- 
toes, etc.,  but,  being  plants  of  greater  hardiness,  require 
more  air  during  the  day.  They  will  be  fit  to  plant  in 
the  open  garden  by  the  middle  of  April.  The  beds  they 
are  taken  from  are  usually  employed  for  re-plan  ting- 
Tomatoes,  which  it  is  not  safe  to  plant  in  the  open  ground 
here  before  the'  middle  of  May.  A  more  detailed  ac- 
count of  how  to  raise  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce  plants 
will  be  found  in  the  Chapter  under  that  head. 


60  GAEDE^IXG    FOE   PROFIT. 

Sweet  Potato  plants  are  almost  universally  raised  in 
hot-beds  ;  but,  as  this  is  a  plant  that  luxuriates  in  a  high 
temperature,  the  hot-bed  should  not  be  formed  to  start 
them  until  the  middle  of  April.  The  soil  should  be  a 
mixture  of  sand  and  leaf  mold,  laid  on  of  the  usual 
thickness  on  the  hot-bed,  six  inches.  The  roots  are 
placed  close  together,  and  the  same  sandj  compost  sifted 
over  them  to  the  depth  of  two  inches.  Seme  split  the 
large  ones  lengthwise  and  place  them  flat  side  down. 
They  should  not  be  watered  until  they  start  to  grow. 
They  are  fit  to  plant  out  about  six  weeks  after  starting. 

Two  most  essential  points  in  working  hot-beds  are  in 
covering  up  at  night  and  in  giving  air  during  the  day. 
It  often  happens  that  a  few  mild  nights  in  March  or 
April  delude  us  into  the  belief  that  all  the  cold  weather 
is  over,  and  the  covering  up  is  in  consequence  either  care- 
lessly performed  or  abandoned.  Every  season  shows  us 
scores  of  victims  to  this  mistake,  who  by  one  cold  night 
lose  the  whole  labors  of  the  season.  It  is  always  safest 
to  cover  up  tender  plants,  such  as  Tomatoes,  Sweet  Po- 
tatoes, etc.,  until  the  10th  of  May  in  this  latitude,  and 
the  more  hardy  plants,  such  as  Cabbage,  to  the  l&t  of 
April,  when  raised  in  hot-beds.  Even  if  there  is  no  dan- 
ger from  freezing,  it  will  give  a  more  uniform  tempera- 
ture, and  consequently  conduce  to  a  more  healthy  growth. 
The  want  of  close  attention  in  airing  is  equally  danger- 
ous. Often  an  hour's  delay  in  raising  the  sashes  will 
result  in  the  scorching  up  of  the  whole  contents  of  the 
hot-bed,  and  irregularity  of  airing  will  always  produce 
" drawn"  and  spindling  plants,  even  when  they  are  not 
entirely  killed.  The  thermometer  is  the  only  safe  guide, 
and  should  be  regularly  consulted,  and  whenever  it  indi- 
cates seventy-five  degrees,  it  is  safe  to  admit  more  or  less 
of  the  outer  air,  proportioned  of  course  to  the  condition 
of  the  atmosphere.  If  there  be  bright  sunshine  and  cold 
wind,  very  little  will  suffice ;  if  calm,  mild,  and  sunny, 


FORMATION    AND    MANAGEMENT   OF   HOT-BEDS.        61 

admit  larger  quantities.  If  the  days  are  warm,  say  sixty 
in  the  shade,  in  March  or  April,  the  sashes  covering 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower  or  Lettuce  plants  may  be  stripped 
entirely  off,  and  also  from  Tomatoes  in  April  and  May 
when  the  thermometer  is  at  seventy  degrees  in  the  shade, 
covering  up  at  night,  of  course. 

COVERINGS  FOR  PROTECTION  AGAINST  FROST. — To 
cover  up  hot-bed  sashes  we  use  either  light  pine  shutters  or 
straw  mats.  The  shutters  are  made  the  exact  size  of  the 
sash.  There  is  no  necessity  of  their  being  more  than 


Fig.  5.— MAKING  A  STRAW-MAT. 

half  an  inch  in  thickness,  as  that  is  quite  as  effective  in 
keeping  out  the  cold  as  two  inches  would  be,  and  they 
are  much  cheaper  and  more  convenient  to  handle.  Straw 
mats  are,  however,  by  far  the  warmest  covering,  and  in 
hot-bed  culture  are  almost  indispensable.  They  are  al- 
ways made  at  home,  during  wet  days  or  in  stormy  weather 
in  winter.  The  manner  of  making  them  is  very  simple, 
and  will  readily  be  learned  at  the  first  attempt.  The 


62  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

"uprights"  or  warps  are  formed  of  five  strands  of  a 
tarred  string  known  as  " marline."  These  are  tightly 
strained  ten  inches  apart  by  being  attached  to  five  strong 
nails  at  bottom  of  a  wall,  corresponding  with  the  same 
number  seven  feet  from  the  bottom.  Against  these 
strings  (beginning  at  the  bottom)  are  laid  small  hand- 
fuls  of  rye  straw,  the  butt  ends  out,  as  long  and  straight 
as  can  be  procured.  This  is  secured  to  the  uprights  by 
a  lighter  kind  of  tarred  string  by  taking  a  single  turn 
around  the  upright  and  the  straw,  and  so  continued  un- 
til the  mat  is  finished.  Some  use  a  frame  to  which  the 
strings  forming  the  warp  are  attached,  as  shown  in  figure 
5.  This  allows  the  operator  to  have  his  work  upright 
or  horizontal,  as  may  be  most  convenient.  Two  work- 
men will  make  about  five  mats  in  a  day.  When  fin- 
ished, the  mats  should  be  seven  feet  in  length  and 
four  and  a  half  feet  in  width,  two  being  sufficient  to 
cover  three  sashes.  The  reason  for  having  them  made 
one  foot  longer  than  the  sash  is  that  there  may  be  six 
inches  to  overlap  at  top  and  bottom,  which  are  the  most 
necessary  points  to  secure  from  frost.  In  making  these 
mats  they  may  be  constructed  of  sedge  from  the  marshes 
or  salt  meadow  hay  when  rye  straw  cannot  be  procured. 
It  is  important,  however,  that  they  may  be  made  as 
light  as  possible,  one  inch  in  thickness  being  quite  suf- 
ficient. By  care  in  handling  them,  these  mats  will  last 
for  six  or  eight  years. 


FORCING-PITS   OR   GREENHOUSES.  63 

CHAPTER    IX. 
FORCING-PITS  OR  GREENHOUSES. 

In  another  chapter  it  will  be  found  that  we  now  rec- 
ommend using  wider  greenhouses  with  fixed  roofs  for 
growing  vegetables,  but  as  many  have  loose  sashes  that 
they  may  wish  to  utilize  in  constructing  greenhouses,  we 
will  still  retain  the  description  given  in  the  earlier  edi- 
tions of  this  work. 

Forcing-pits  and  greenhouses  of  the  style  about  to  be 
described,  whenever  the  greater  expense  in  their  erection 
is  not  a  consideration,  are,  in  our  experience,  far  supe- 
rior, and  in  the  course  of  five  or  six  years  more  economi- 
cal for  all  purposes  of  forcing  or  forwarding  vegetables 
than  the  hot-bed  or  cold  frame.  Figure  6  represents 
the  end  section  and  ground  plan  of  the  style  we  have  in 
use,  and  which  may  be  adapted  to  any  plant  that  requires 
artificial  heat  and  protection  of  glass.  The  pits  repre- 
sented by  this  plan  are  100  feet  in  length,  and  each 
eleven  feet  wide  inside.  The  heating  is  accomplished  by 
one  of  Hitching's  patent  boilers,  (7,  heating  about  1,200 
feet  of  four-inch  pipe.  The  glass  roof,  E,  is  formed  of 
portable  sashes,  six  by  three  feet.  Each  alternate  sash  is 
screwed  down,  the  others  being  movable,  so  as  to  give 
adundaiice  of  air.  The  movable  sash  is  elevated,  to  ad- 
mit air,  by  a  flat  iron  bar  fifteen  inches  Jong,  attached  to 
the  sash  by  a  staple.  Into  this  bar  is  punched  three 
holes,  so  as  to  regulate  the  admission  of  the  air  as  re- 
quired. When  the  sash  is  shut  down  the  bar  is  hooked 
on  to  a  pin  which  secures  it  in  place,  so  that  the  sash  can- 
not be  moved  by  wind.  I  am  thus  particular  in  describ- 
ing what  may  seem  a  simple  matter,  but  this  system  of 
airing  is  not  common,  and  we  made  some  stupid  blunders 
before  we  hit  on  our  present  plan,  which  is  cheap,  simple 


64 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


6.— END  SECTION  AND  GROUND  PLAN   OF    FORCING-PITS  HEATED   BY 
WATER   PIPES. 


FORCING-PITS   OR   GREENHOUSES.  65 

and  very  effective.  The  movable  sash  is  not  hinged  at 
the  bottom,  but  is  held  in  place  by  two  small  plates  of 
iron  screwed  on  the  gutter  plate.  The  ridge-poles  are 
cut  out  of  the  shape  shown  at  J,  and  the  sashes  lie  on 
the  shoulder.  The  interior  arrangement  of  the  pits  will 
be  easily  understood  by  the  end  section.  G  shows  the 
bench  or  table  as  it  is  completed,  which  is  filled  with  five 
or  six  inches  of  soil,  in  which  the  Lettuce,  etc.,  are  to 
be  grown.  This  shows  the  boxing-in  of  the  pipes,  Z), 
to  give  "bottom  heat"  to  the  cuttings,  seeds  or  plants 
that  are  placed  on  the  bench ;  but  on  the  sides  of  the 
bench,  along  the  walk,  one  plank  is  hinged  throughout 
the  house,  so  that  it  may  be  let  down  when  required  and 
permit  the  escape  of  heat  into  the  greenhouse.  The 
walks  through  the  house,  K,  are  two  feet  wide.  A 
brick  shed,  A,  covers  the  boiler-pit,  /7,  and  is  at- 
taehed  to  the  north  end  of  the  pits*  Besides  breaking 
the  wind  at  this  vulnerable  point,  we  find  this  shed  a 
most  excellent  place  for  many  purposes,  as  it  is  kept 
from  freezing  by  the  heat  that  escapes  from  the  boiler- 
pit,  which  would  otherwise  be  lost.  This  heat  may  be 
turned  to  a  very  profitable  account  in  forcing  Mush- 
rooms or  Ehubarb,  if  desired  for  that  purpose. 

The  system  of  attaching  three  pits  together  is  now 
almost  universally  adopted  by  commercial  gardeners  in 
all  houses  erected  during  the  past  twenty-five  years  in 
the  neighborhood  of  New  York  ;  it  has  great  advantages 
over  the  detached  system,  being  less  expensive  in  heating, 
more  saving  of  space,  and,  above  all,  far  more  economical 
in  cost  of  construction.  I  prefer  having  only  three  to- 
gether, for  the  reason  that  when  we  have  the  snow  to 
clear  away  it  is  quickly  done  by  being  shoveled  from  the 
two  valleys  or  furrows  over  the  ridges  ;  although  we  have 
one  grower  in  this  neighborhood  who  has  twelve  con- 
nected houses,  and  finds  but  little  trouble  with  snow. 
Our  snows  being  mostly  from  the  north,  the  shed  breaks 


66 


GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 


them  off  in  a  great  measure,  and  what  blows  over  blows 
mostly  off  through  the 
valley  between  the  sashes. 
The  water  from  the  gut- 
ter is  led  into  a  cistern, 
at  the  south  end  of  the 
greenhouses,  of  a  capacity 
of  not  less  than  3,000 
cubic  feet  —  if 
5,000,  all  the 
better ;  to  this 
is  connected  a 
Douglas  Force 
Pump,  figure  7, 
with  150  feet  of 
one  and  a  half 
inch  hose,  and  to  the  end 
of  the  hose  is  attached  a 
heavy  sprinkler.  One  man 
pumps,  and  another  reg- 
ulates the  water  and 
sprinkles  it  over  the 
plants.  My  establishment 
in  1866  contained  over  an 
acre  of  glass,  and  yet,  by 
this  labor-saving  arrange- 
ment, all  the  plants  were 
thoroughly  drenched  with 
water  by  two  men  in  four 
hours.  Before  adopting 
this  method  of  watering,  at  least  four  of  the 
hands  were  employed  the  whole  day  during  the 
spring  months  in  watering,  and  then  the  work 
was  not  done  half  so  well.  There  is  nothing 
that  I  have  ever  done,  connected  with  horticultural 
operations,  that  has  been  so  entirely  satisfactory  as  this 


Fig;.  7. 
DOUGLAS  FORCE  PUMP. 


FORCING-PITS   OR   GREENHOUSES.  67 

method  of  watering.  Now,  1886,  we  are  fortunate  enough 
to  have  the  city  water,  and  can  drench  four  acres  of 
plants  grown  under  glass  in  ten  hours. 

In  these  pits  may  be  propagated  and  grown  Eoses  and 
all  kinds  of  greenhouse  and  bedding  plants  of  every  de- 
scription, in  the  best  possible  manner.  But  as  our  pres- 
ent purpose  is  only  with  vegetables,  I  will  endeavor  to 
describe  our  mode  of  operations  with  some  of  these. 
Lettuce,  from  the  great  quantities  consumed  in  all  large 
cities,  is  now,  and  will  be  likely  to  be,  one  of  the  most 
profitable  vegetables  to  force,  for  the  reason  that  from  its 
soft  and  bulky  character  it  cannot  be  so  safely  or  cheaply 
shipped  from  the  South  as  many  other  kinds  of  vege- 
tables. We  begin,  for  our  first  crop,  by  sowing  the  seed 
about  the  20th  of  August,  in  the  open  ground,  of  the 
Boston  Market,  Black-Seeded  Butter  and  Curled  Simpson 
sorts,  using  by  far  the  greatest  proportion  of  the  first 
named,  as  it  forms  a  solid  head  quicker  and  can  be 
planted  closer.  These  are  planted  on  the  benches  of  the 
forcing-house  in  five  or  six  weeks  after,  at  about  six  or 
eight  inches  apart  each  way,  on  well  enriched  soil,  placed 
on  the  benches  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  inches.  At 
this  season  no  " forcing"  is  required,  and  the  sashes 
should  be  kept  raised  to  admit  air,  night  and  day,  until 
frosts  begin  to  be  severe  ;  then  they  should  be  shut  up 
at  night,  but  no  fire  heat  should  be  applied  until  the 
weather  has  been  severe  enough  to  indicate  thirty-eight 
or  forty  degrees  inside  the  pits,  and  even  then  very 
slightly,  for  if  they  can  be  brought  to  maturity  at  this 
season  without  the  temperature  exceeding  fifty  degrees 
at  night  (by  fire  heat),  the  crop  will  be  all  the  better. 
The  great  thing  in  forcing  all  plants  of  this  hardy  nature 
being  to  avoid  a  high  temperature,  the  temperature 
when  steady  firing  is  begun  in  the  winter  months,  should 
average  fifty  degrees  as  near  as  possible. 

Of  late  years,  Lettuce  plants,  when  grown  under  glass, 


68  .         GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

have  occasionally  become  affected  by  a  species  of  mildew 
or  rust,  which,  beginning  in  the  center  of  the  plant, 
quickly  spreads  over  the  whole  and  destroys  it.  I  am 
not  certain  of  the  cause  and  can  offer  no  cure — except  to 
advise  that  great  care  should  be  taken  to  have  the  plants 
grown  freely  and  without  any  sudden  check  by  chilling 
or  by  the  extremes  of  drouth  and  moisture.  We  find  in 
the  culture  of  plants  under  glass  that  some  species  are 
particularly  sensitive  to  such  checks — some  varieties  of 
the  Rose,  for  instance,  if,  when  in  a  particular  condition 
of  growth,  the  temperature  for  a  few  hours  is  reduced 
from  sixty-five  to  forty  degrees  at  night,  or  if  a  frosty 
southeast  wind  is  allowed  to  play  on  the  leaves  for  even 
ten  minutes,  or  if  allowed  to  dry  so  that  the  plant  wilts, 
mildew  will  to  a  certainty  be  developed  in  twenty-four 
hours.  The  Verbena,  Heliotrope  and  Petunia,  when 
subjected  to  ill  usage,  become  badly  rusted.  Therefore, 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  Lettuce  disease  is  also 
caused  by  some  ill  usage  at  some  period  of  its  growth, 
for  we  find  that  it  is  rarely  seen  when  the  crop  is  grown 
in  the  open  ground  in  spring  or  summer.  The  prevent- 
ive suggested  is  that  plants  to  be  forced  should  be  pre- 
pared so  carefully  that  no  sudden  check  is  given,  and 
also  that  the  soil  used  on  the  benches  be  fresh,  and  the 
manure  used  be  thoroughly  rotted  and  well  mixed  through 
the  soil. 

To  CHECK  THE  APHIS  OR  GREENFLY. — Fumigating 
with  tobacco  should  be  done  twice  each  week,  beginning 
the  very  day  the  plants  are  planted  in  the  bench.  In 
fumigating  we  use  refuse  tobacco  stems,  about  two  pounds 
(dry)  for  every  1,000  square  feet  of  glass,  damping,  how- 
ever, before  using,  so  as  to  get  the  greatest  amount  of 
smoke.  For  fuller  particulars  on  this  head  see  chapter 
on  "  Wide  Greenhouses  for  Forcing  Vegetables." 

The  first  crop  is  ready  about  November  Itt,  and  is 
cut  off  and  sold  in  two  weeks  ;  the  soil  on  the  benches  is 


FORCING-PITS   OR   GREENHOUSES.  69 

slightly  manured,  dug  up,  and  again  planted  (from  plants 
sown  in  cold  frames,  or  in  boxes  in  the  same  pit)  about 
September  20th.  This  second,  or  winter  crop,  requires 
more  attention  in  growing,  both  in  firing,  watering,  and 
airing,  as  it  matures  about  January  1st,  and  consequently 
has  had  to  be  cared  for  during  a  cold  part  of  the 
year.  The  third  crop,  treated  exactly  as  the  second,  is 
planted  as  soon  as  the  other  is  cut  off,  and  matures  about 
April  1st.  We  now  vary  the  use  of  the  pit,  by  planting 
at  distances  of  about  three  feet  apart  along  the  center  of 
the  bench,  plants  of  the  White  Spine  Cucumber,  from 
seed  sown  about  April  1st,  in  a  corner  of  the  pit  that  has 
been  kept  closer  and  warmer  than  that  for  the  Lettuce  ; 
these  are  planted  in  pots  about  three  inches  in  diameter, 
and  by  the  time  the  benches  are  cleared  in  May  are  fine 
strong  plants,  that  give  a  full  crop  during  the  month  of 
June — fully  a  month  sooner  than  from  the  open  ground. 
The  combined  value  of  these  four  crops  will  average  about 
$400,  for  a  structure  100  feet  in  length  by  eleven  feet  in 
width.  The  estimated  expense  of  cultivation  is  : 

Interest  on  $700,  cost  of  construction,  at  10  per  cent.  $  70.00 

Coal,  five  tons ...  30.00 

Labor,  Manure,  etc  -  -. 100.00 


$200.00 
Receipts - ..     400.00 


Net  Profit -  $200.00 

These  forcing-pits  are  likewise  used  for  starting  seeds 
of  Tomato,  Egg,  Pepper,  Cabbage,  and  Cauliflower,  and 
sprouting  Sweet  Potatoes,  which  is  done  with  far  less  risk 
and  in  a  much  better  manner  than  can  be  accomplished 
by  the  hot-bed.  One  great  advantage  is,  that  by  being 
able  to  walk  inside  of  them,  these  pits  are  accessible  in 
all  weathers,  while  with  the  hot-bed  or  frames  we  are  in 
winter  often  debarred  from  examination  for  whole  days 
together 


70  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

At  present  prices,  in  this  locality,  these  pits  cost  about 
$7  per  lineal  foot,  everything  complete,  put  up  in  the  way 
indicated  by  the  plan  in  a  plain  substantial  manner.  But 
those  whose  circumstances  do  not  admit  of  the  expense 
of  heating  by  hot  water  (which  is  nearly  half  the  cost  of 
the  whole),  may  put  up  structures  of  exactly  the  same 
character,  and  heat  them  by  the  common  smoke  flue  at 
an  expense  of  from  $4  to  $5  per  lineal  foot,  in  the  man- 
ner shown  by  the  plan,  figure  8.  It  will  be  seen  by  this 
sketch  that  two  flues  only  are  used  for  the  three  pits, 
each  passing  first  up  under  the  bench  on  the  outside 
houses,  is  carried  along  the  end  and  returned  through 
the  middle  houses  ;  this  equalizes  the  temperature  in  all 
three,  for  the  outside  houses  get  only  one  run  of  the  flue, 
but  it  being  directly  from  the  fire  gives  about  the  same 
heat  to  the  outside  houses  as  two  runs  in  the  middle 
house,  which,  being  a  greater  distance  from  the  fire,  are 
much  colder.  Three  attached  houses,  heated  thus, 
should  not  be  over  fifty  feet  long  in  this  latitude.  South- 
ward they  may  be  sixty  feet  and  northward  forty  feet. 
Peculiarities  of  locality  have  much  to  do  with  the  heat- 
ing ;  in  positions  particularly  sheltered  from  the  north- 
west, the  same  amount  of  flue  will  heat  sixty  feet  quite 
as  easily  as  in  exposed  places  it  will  heat  forty.  The 
proper  way  of  constructing  the  furnace  and  flue  is  of  im- 
portance enough  to  require  a  description,  which  is  given 
at  length  on  page  87.  As  far  as  possible,  let  the  instruc- 
tions there  given  be  followed  to  the  letter,  as  they  are  such 
as  long  and  very  extensive  experience  in  the  use  of  flues 
for  greenhouse  heating  has  shown  to  be  -such  as  rarely  fail 
to  give  the  very  best  results.  Twenty-five  years  ago 
nearly  all  the  greenhouses  used  for  commercial  purposes 
were  heated  by  flues.  In  my  own  practice  I  used  no 
other  mode  of  heating  until  1860,  and  grew  plants  quite 
as  well  there  as  we  do  to-day.  One  of  the  largest  rose- 
growing  firms  in  this  country  still  uses  flues  only,  with 


FORCING-PITS   OR   GREENHOUSES. 


71 


.  8.— END-SECTION   AND  GROUND  PLAN  OF  FOBCING-PITS 
HEATED  BY  FLUE. 


72  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

results  that  have  been  such  as  to  make  their  business  a 
complete  success.  Still,  whenever  it  can  be  afforded, 
there  is  no  question  that  hot  water  or  steam  is  the  best 
method  of  heating  greenhouses.  In  the  plan  and  section 
on  the  preceding  page,  A  is  the  shed  enclosing  the  fur- 
naces, G  C,  from  which  pass  the  flues,  D,  in  the  direc- 
tion shown  by  the  arrows  to  the  chimneys,  L.  The 
benches  are  not  shown  here,  but  they  are  arranged  as  in 
figure  6. 


GREENHOUSES   FOR   FORCING   VEGETABLES. 


CHAPTER    X. 

WIDE  GREENHOUSES  FOR 
FORCING  VEGETABLE  CROPS. 
Since  "  Gardening  for  Profit " 
was  first  written,  larger  experi- 
ence has  shown  that  greenhouse 
structures  for  forcing  vegetables 
cannot  only  be  erected  cheaper 
when  made  twenty  or  twenty- 
two  feet  wide,  instead  of  ten  or 
eleven  feet  as  then  in  use,  but 
from  the  larger  volume  of  air 
they  contain,  which  when  once 
heated  better  resists  the  cold 
outer  air,  less  artificial  heat  is 
necessary.  So  well  convinced 
were  we  of  the  advantages  of 
the  wider  structure,  that  six 
years  a^o  we  removed  all  our 
old  eleven  foot  houses  (covering 
nearly  an  acre  in  glass)  and  re- 
placed them  with  greenhouses 
averaging  twenty  feet  wide  by 
100  feet  in  length.  John  Hud- 
son, of  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey, 
one  of  the  most  successful  of  all 
our  market  gardeners  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York,  con- 
structed, the  past  season,  six 
greenhouses,  each  150  feet  long 
by  twenty-two  feet  wide,  plans 
of  which  are  given  in  figures  9 
and  10.  The  cost  of  these 
greenhouses  complete,  with  ven- 
tilating apparatus,  heating, 
benches,  etc., was  about  $10,000, 


74  GARDE JTI^G   FOR   PROFIT. 

or  about  $10  per  running  foot.  The  structure  is  very 
simple.  The  walls  front  and  rear  are  constructed  of 
cedar  posts,  about  five  to  six  inches  in  diameter,  placed 
four  feet  apart  and  sunk  three  feet  in  the  ground.  On 
the  outside  of  these  are  nailed  rough  hemlock  boards, 
against  which  a  layer  of  asphalt  or  tarred  paper  is  tacked, 
over  which  is  nailed  the  ordinary  weather  boarding.  Such 
a  wall  will  resist  cold  better  than  an  eight-inch  brick 
wall,  and  will  last  twenty-five  years  if  kept  painted.  A 
very  common  error  is  to  build  the  wooden  wall  of  a  green- 
house hollow  and  fill  the  space  with  sawdust.  This 
should  never  be  done,  as  it  is  more  expensive,  and  is  by 
no  means  so  good  as  the  plan  here  given.  It  will  be 


.  10. — CROSS-SECTION  OF  FORCING-HOUSE. 


seen  by  the  engraving,  figure  10,  that  these  greenhouses 
of  Mr.  Hudson's  are  heated  with  hot  water,  the  six  O's 
in  the  engraving  representing  six  runs  of  four-inch  pipe, 
which  is  sufficient  to  give  a  night  temperature  of  forty- 
five  or  fifty  degrees  when  the  thermometer  is  ten  below 
zero,  which  is  a  sufficient  night  temperature  in  the  win- 
ter months  for  growing  such  crops  as  Lettuce  and  Rad- 
ishes. Of  course  in  the  day-time,  when  the  sun  shines, 
the  temperature  of  such  a  house  will  run  fifteen  or  twenty 
degrees  higher  ;  and  ventilation  should  not  be  given  until 
the  temperature  reaches  seventy  degrees.  The  great  point 
to  be  considered  in  forcing  crops  of  Lettuce  or  Radishes 
in  greenhouses  is,  if  possible,  not  to  let  the  night  tempera- 
ture exceed  fifty  degrees.  Of  course  this  cannot  be  helped 


GREENHOUSES   FOR   FORCING    VEGETABLES.  75 

in  the  fall  months,  when  the  temperature  outside  is  often 
much  higher  than  fifty  at  night  ;  but  ia  such  cases,  dur- 
ing the  months  of  October  and  November,  the  ventilating 
sashes  should  be  left  up  so  as  to  keep  the  temperature  at 
night  as  low  as  practicable.  Often  the  entire  first  crops 
of  Lettuce  are  lost  for  want  of  this  precaution.  Further 
experience  has  also  taught  us  the  necessity  of  using  glass 
of  a  larger  size.  The  size  most  used  is  twelve  by  sixteen, 
put  in  the  twelve  inch  way.  The  object  of  the  larger 
glass  is  to  obtain  the  greatest  amount  of  light.  In  glaz- 


Fig.  11.— IMPROVED  METHOD  OF  GLAZING. 

ing,  the  method  now  almost  universally  adopted  is  to  bed 
the  glass  in  putty  and  tack  it  on  the  upper  side  with 
large  glazing  points,  using  no  putty  on  top,  The  glazing 
points  are  triangular,  one  corner  of  which  is  turned  down, 
so  that  when  it  is  driven  in  it  fits  against  the  lower  edge 
of  each  pane  and  prevents  it  from  slipping  down.  A 
great  mistake  is  often  made  in  giving  the  glass  too  much 
lap.  It  should  just  be  given  enough  to  cover  the  edge 
of  the  pane  below  from  one-eighth  to  one-quarter  of  an 
inch.  If  given  much  more  the  water  gets  between  the 
panes  and  when  it  freezes  cracks  the  glass. 

It  has  been  found  that  when  the  glass  lies  on  the  sash- 
bars  thus  imbedded,  the  putty  soon  rots  or  wears  out, 


76  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

and  water  gets  in,  and  not  only  loosens  the  glass,  but 
rots  the  bar  as  well.  A  most  simple  plan  to  obviate  this 
is  to  pour  along  the  junction  of  the  bar  with  the  glass 
a  thin  line  of  white  lead  in  oil,  over  which  is  shaken  dry 
white  sand.  This  hardens  and  makes  a  cement  that 
effectually  checks  all  leakage.  It  is  quickly  done.  The 
engraving,  figure  11,  shows  how  the  portable  sash  is  held 
and  the  application  made  from  the  oil-can  containing  the 
thin  white  lead.  I  have  seen  glass  so  cemented  that  has 
stood  for  ten  years  still  in  perfect  order,  and  it  looked  as 
if  it  would  stand  for  ten  years  more  without  further  re- 
pair. This  plan,  which  is  but  little  known  as  yet,  is  of 
the  greatest  importance.  Had  I  known  of  it  thirty  years 
ago,  I  would  have  saved  many  thousands  of  dollars  in  re- 
pairing, besides  having  the  plants  under  this  water-tight 
glazing  in  better  condition. 

It  will  be  seen  that  two  of  the  hot  water  pipes  are 
placed  under  the  front  bench.  The  other  four  are  placed 
two  on  each  walk.  The  front  bench,  four  feet  wide,  is 
constructed  so  that  it  will  hold  five  or  six  inches  in  depth 
of  soil ;  but  the  middle  or  main  bench,  which  is  thirteen 
feet  wide,  requires  to  be  walled  up  to  a  height  of  two  feet 
(see  plan)  and  filled  up  to  the  top  with  soil.  The  soil 
best  fitted  for  the  growing  of  Lettuce  is  five  parts  good, 
strong,  fresh  loam  to  one  part  well-rotted  cow  dung.  I 
will  give,  as  nearly  as  I  can,  our  manner  of  operating. 
The  first  sowing  of  Lettuce  (which  is  mainly  the  Boston 
Market  variety),  made  in  the  open  ground  about  the  20th 
of  August,  will  be  large  enough  to  be  set  in  the  green- 
house benches  (at  six  or  seven  inches  apart  each  way),  by 
the  20th  of  September,  and  will  without  fire  heat  give 
fine  heads  by  the  first  of  November.  For  the  second 
succession,  sowings  are  still  made  outside  about  the  20th 
of  September,  to  replant  the  space  where  the  first  crop 
has  been  cut  out  by  the  first  week  in  November.  As  the 
season  is  now  getting  colder  the  crop  planted  by  the  first 


GREENHOUSES   FOR   FORCING   VEGETABLES.  77 

of  November  will  not  be  fit  for  market  until  about  the 
Christmas  Holidays,  at  which  time  it  usually  sells  well. 
For  the  third  crop,  to  be  planted  in  January,  the  plants 
made  by  the  sowing  on  the  20th  of  September  should  be 
used.  This  crop,  which  has  to  be  grown  in  midwinter, 
will  not  be  ready,  if  planted  the  first  or  second  week  in 
January,  until  about  the  first  of  April. 

One  of  the  greatest  pests  in  growing  Lettuce  is  the 
Green  Fly  or  Aphis,  and  the  remedy  must  be  preventive, 
for  if  it  once  gets  a  foothold  on  the  growing  plant,  it  can- 
not be  destroyed.  From  its  operations  being  mainly  on 
the  under  side  of  the  leaves,  nothing  can  reach  it ;  con- 
sequently every  insect  must  be  destroyed  before  planting. 
Tobacco  in  any  form  is  destructive  to  it.  So  before 
planting  let  the  surface  of  the  soil  be  sown  over  with 
tobacco  dust,  and  also  let  the  young  plants  be  rinsed  in 
water  wherein  tobacco  stems  have  been  steeped  long 
enough  to  give  it  the  color  of  strong  tea.  By  using  these 
precautions  there  is  little  danger  that  the  Lettuce  will 
be  attacked  by  the  insect,  although,  as  a  further  measure 
of  precaution,  it  will  be  well  to  strew  the  paths  with 
refuse  tobacco  stems,  which  will  make  a  complete  anti- 
dote against  the  Aphis.  There  is  another  disease  often 
affecting  Lettuce,  with  which,  however,  it  is  not  so  easy 
to  cope.  It  is  first  seen  by  the  leaves  hardening  and 
spotting  brownish  red,  then  gradually  decaying  towards 
the  center  of  the  plant  until  it  partly  destroys  it.  The 
cause  seems  to  be  anything  that  gives  the  plant  a  check 
— any  too  sudden  change  of  temperature,  too  much  dry- 
ness  or  too  much  moisture.  There  is,  I  think,  no  remedy 
after  the  disease  has  once  started,  so  our  efforts  must  be 
for  prevention.  (See  page  68). 

Mr.  Hudson  has  used  some  of  his  greenhouses  for 
growing  the  Early  Round  Dark  Red  and  the  Small- 
Topped  Forcing  Radish,  which  he  finds  better  suit- 
able for  forcing  than  any  other.  These  are  first  sown 
about  the  first  week  in  October,  succession  sowings  being 


78  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

made  on  the  same  ground  as  each  crop  is  marketed, 
which,  according  to  the  season,  is  from  four  to  six  weeks 
from  the  time  of  sowing,  five  crops  usually  being  obtained 
by  the  middle  of  May.  The  seed  is  sown  thinly  in  rows 
three  or  four  inches  apart,  and  the  radishes  thinned  out 
when  an  inch  high  to  two  inches  between  the  plants. 
After  a  crop  of  early  Lettuce  and  Radishes  has  been  mar- 
keted (about  the  middle  of  March),  the  benches  are  often 
planted  with  Snowball  Cauliflower  at  twelve  or  fourteen 
inches  aparfc  each  way,  which  is  marketed  about  the  end 
of  May,  or  two  weeks  before  the  outdoor  crop  is  ready. 
Another,  and  very  often  profitable,  use  is  made  of  these 
forcing  greenhouses  by  packing  large  clumps  of  roots  of 
Rhubarb  or  Asparagus,  lifted  so  as  to  leave  the  soil  still 
adhering  to  the  roots.  These  clumps  can  be  set  as  close 
as  they  can  be  packed,  about  the  middle  of  December, 
under  the  front  bench,  as  they  require  no  light,  and  will 
be  found  to  be  very  profitable,  the  only  cost  being  the 
roots,  which  can  easily  be  raised,  where  ground  is  plenti- 
ful, in  the  open  field,  by  sowing  the  seed  in  rows  eighteen 
inches  apart,  and  thinning  out  to  a  foot  between  the 
plants.  It  requires  three  years,  however,  to  grow  roots 
of  Ehubarb  large  enough  to  force,  and  four  years  for 
Asparagus.  There  are  often  cases  where  old  beds  must 
be  removed,  where  the  roots,  instead  of  being  thrown 
away,  would  give,  by  being  closely  jammed  together  under 
a  greenhouse  bench,  a  product  of  about  fifty  cents  per 
square  foot,  if  sold  any  time  before  April. 

It  is  not  easy  to  estimate  the  profits  on  such  an  invest- 
ment in  forcing  greenhouses  for  vegetable  crops,  as  so 
much  depends  on  what  the  market  demands.  Of  course, 
all  the  products  in  such  a  market  as  New  York  are  sold 
at  wholesale,  and  not  infrequently  pass  through  several 
different  hands  before  reaching  the  consumer  ;  but  even 
thus  sold,  it  is  safe  to  say  that,  with  fair  average  culture, 
such  crops  at  wholesale  rates  will  pay  a  clear  net  profit  of 


GREENHOUSES   FOR   FORCING   VEGETABLES.  79 

thirty  per  cent,  annually  ;  while  there  is  but  little  doubt 
that  if  the  consumer  could  be  reached  direct,  at  least 
twice  that  amount  could  be  realized. 

The  business  is  a  particularly  pleasant  one,  and  is  a  great 
advantage,  in  all  respects,  over  the  hot-bed  system,  as 
one  has  complete  control  over  the  greenhouse  tempera- 
ture, both  by  night  and  by  day,  if  the  heating  and  ven- 
tilating apparatus  have  been  properly  constructed.  These 
greenhouses  are  also  well  adapted  for  raising  all  kinds  oi 
vegetable  plants.  For  the  past  six  years  nearly  all  our 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  Lettuce  and  Tomato  plants  have 
been  raised  in  such  greenhouses  at  far  less  expense  than 
in  the  old-fashioned  hot-beds.  When  the  expense  of  hot 
water  apparatus  cannot  be  entertained,  the  same  style  of 
greenhouse  can  be  heated  by  the  horizontal  smoke  flue, 
costing  little  more  than  half  as  much  as  the  hot  water 
apparatus,  as  the  latter  is  about  one-half  of  the  entire 
cost  of  the  construction  of  such  houses. 

FORCING   CUCUMBERS. 

The  wide  greenhouses  or  forcing-houses,  which  we 
have  described  as  being  used  by  Mr.  Hudson  for  forcing 
Lettuce,  Radishes  and  Cauliflower,  can  also  be  made 
equally  available  for  forcing  Cucumbers,  either  during 
the  entire  winter  and  spring  season,  or  to  be  used  to  suc- 
ceed the  last  crops  of  Radishes  or  Lettuce  in  spring.  If 
wanted  for  the  forcing  of  Cucumbers  during  the  fall  sea- 
son, the  seed  should  be  sown  in  the  greenhouse  about 
October  1st  in  small  pots,  three  or  four  seeds  in  each, 
thinning  out  to  one  strong  plant.  These,  in  thirty  days, 
will  have  become  sufficiently  strong  to  plant  out  at  twenty 
to  twenty-four  inches  apart  on  the  south  side  of  the 
bench,  one  row  only.  A  trellis  of  galvanized  iron  wire 
is  marie  with  about  a  nine-inch  mesh,  diamond  shaped. 
This,  on  the  middle  bench,  should  be  kept  two  feet  from 
the  glass,  but  on  the  front  bench  it  can  only  be  kept  one 


80  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

foot  from  the  glass,  owing  to  its  nearness  to  the  sashes. 
The  depth  of  soil  should  be,  if  on  raised  wooden  benches, 
about  five  or  six  inches;  if  on  the  solid  center  bed,  eighteen 
inches  to  two  feet.  The  soil  should  be  a  sandy  loam,  with 
one-fifth  well-rotted  cow  manure.  The  night  tempera- 
ture in  the  forcing-house  for  the  fall,  winter  and  spring 
months  for  cucumbers,  should  range  as  near  as  possible 
from  sixty  to  sixty-five  degrees,  with  a  temperature  on 
bright  days  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  higher,  giving 
ventilation  at  all  reasonable  times.  Cucumbers  delight 
in  a  moist  atmosphere,  and  whenever  the  weather  is 
bright  and  clear,  water  should  be  sprinkled  on  the  pipes, 
walks  and  under  the  benches.  A  dry  atmosphere  is  cer- 
tain to  develop  the  Red  Spider,  which  is  fatal  to  success. 
It  may  also  be  here  stated, — if  Cucumbers  are  to  be; 
forced  during  the  winter  months,  that  to  keep  up  the 
necessary  high  temperature  eight  runs  of  four-inch  pipeo 
will  be  required  in  a  greenhouse  twenty  feet  wide,  instead 
of  six,  as  recommended  for  Lettuce  and  Radishes,  though, 
when  grown  only  to  succeed  the  Lettuce  or  Radish  crop 
in  spring,  which  is  usually  the  case,  the  six  runs  of 
pipes  at  that  season  will  be  sufficient. 

Although  there  is  no  necessity  for  artificial  impregna- 
tion of  the  Cucumber  flowers  when  grown  in  the  open 
air,  where  the  insects  and  winds  do. the  work,  yet,  when 
grown  in  the  forcing-house,  it  is  absolutely  necessary, 
particularly  in  midwinter.  This  is  best  done  with  a 
camel's  hair  pencil,  by  detaching  the'pollen,  or  fertilizing- 
dust,  from  the  stamens  and  applying  it  to  the  stigma.  It 
will  also  facilitate  impregnation  on  bright  days  to  slightly 
jar  the  wire  trellis,  so  as  to  let  the  pollen  loose,  which, 
in  floating  through  the  air,  fastens  on  the  stigma.  Cu- 
cumbers from  seed  sown  in  October  will  give  a  continu- 
ous crop  until  June — of  course,  if  well  handled.  When 
wanted  only  to  succeed  crops  of  Lettuce  or  Radishes  in 
spring,  the  seed  should  not  be  sown  until  February  or 


GREENHOUSES   FOR   FORCING   VEGETABLES.  81 

March.  The  variety  for  forcing  which  seems  to  be  most 
favorably  received  in  our  markets  is  "Selected  Early  White 
Spine/'  though,  of  late  years,  the  beautiful  long  kinds, 
such  as  "  Telegraph  "  and  "  Rambler,"  which  are  almost 
exclusively  used  in  Europe,  are  beginning  to  be  favorably 
received.  Forced  Cucumbers  from  December  to  May 
average,  for  best  quality  in  the  market  of  New  York, 
$6  per  dozen,  and,  if  the  forcing  is  well  done,  this  price 
will  be  found  to  pay  very  well.  Southern  competition, 
of  course,  seriously  interferes  with  the  forcing  of  cucum- 
bers, as  it  does  with  nearly  everything  else  in  early  vege- 
tables and  fruits  ;  but,  like  hot-house  grapes,  the  bloom 
and  fine  appearance,  together  with  the  more  delicate 
flavor,  of  the  forced  Cucumber,  finds  customers  in  all 
large  cities  who  are  willing  to  pay  for  the  finer  quality. 

FORCING   STRAWBERRIES. 

The  wide  greenhouses,  already  described  as  being  suit- 
able for  forcing  Lettuce  and  Radishes  or  Cucumbers,  are 
equally  adapted,  with  slight  modification,  for  the  forcing 
of  Strawberries.  This  modification  is  in  having  the 
benches  or  tables  raised,  so  as  to  be  as  near  the  glass  as  it 
is  practicable  to  have  them,  as  shown  by  the  sketch,  fig- 
ure 13,  of  end  section  annexed.  It  is  also  necessary  that 
eight  runs  of  four-inch  pipe  are  used  instead  of  six,  as 
are  in  use  for  Lettuce  and  Radishes,  as  Strawberries  re- 
quire a  somewhat  higher  temperature.  The  proper 
preparation  of  the  plants  for  Strawberry  forcing  is  indis- 
pensable to  success.  This  is  best  done  by  layering  the 
runners  in  small  pots,  as  described  under  the  head  of 
Strawberry  Culture.  The  layers  may  be  placed  in  the 
pots  at  any  time  from  the  middle  of  July  to  September 
1st.  When  the  pot  is  filled  with  roots  (which  will  be  in 
about  two  or  three  weeks  from  the  time  the  Strawberry 
runner  is  placed  in  it),  it  is  then  taken  up  and  shifted 
into  a  four-inch  pot  in  soil  four-fifths  turfy  loam  to  one- 


S3  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

fifth  rotted  cow  dung,  to  which  may  be  added  a  slight 
sprinkling  of  pure  bone  dust — say  a  handful  to  every 
bushel  of  soil. 

When  the  strawberry  plants  have  been  shifted  from  the 
pots  in  which  they  were  layered,  into  the  four-inch  size, 
they  should  be  set  in  the  open  sunshine,  standing  the 
pots  close  together,  and  carefully  watered  as  occasion  re- 
quires, so  as  to  induce  the  best  possible  growth.  All 
runners  should  be  carefully  pinched  off  as  they  appear, 
so  that  the  whole  force  of  the  roots  may  go  to  develop 
the  main  plant,  or  fruiting  crown,  as  it  is  sometimes 
called.  In  four  or  five  weeks  the  four-inch  pots  will  be 
filled  with  roots,  and  the  plants  must  again  be  shifted 
into  six-inch  pots  and  treated  as  before,  which  will  give, 
by  the  middle  of  October,  the  necessary  strong  plants 
for  forcing.  As  the  season  of  growth  stops  about' this 
date,  water  should  be  withheld  to  some  extent,  so  that 
the  plants  may  get  a  season  of  rest. 

When  they  are  placed  in  the  forcing-house  they  may 
either  be  planted  out  on  the  benches  at  six  or  eight  inches 
apart,  in  soil  five  or  six  inches  deep,  or  they  may  be 
forced  in  the  pots,  as  may  be  desired,  but,  in  any  case, 
twice  as  many  plants  should  be  prepared  as  will  fill  the 
house,  for,  if  desired,  two  crops  can  easily  be  raised  in 
succession.  The  first  plants  should  be  placed  in  the 
forcing-house  about  November  1st;  these  will  produce 
marketable  fruit  by  January  or  February.  Plants  put  in 
in  February  will  be  ready  by  March  or  April.  Of  course, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  keep  the  reserve  plants  of  straw- 
berries in  a  dormant  state,  which  is  best  done  in  cold 
frames  or  pits,  the  pots  being  plunged  up  to  the  rims  in 
dry  leaves. 

The  best  rule  to  follow  in  forcing  any  plant,  is  to  keep 
as  near  as  possible  to  its  natural  condition.  We  know 
that  as  the  Strawberry  plant  develops  its  leaves  and  flow- 
ers throughout  May  in  this  latitude  in  the  open  ground, 


GREENHOUSES   FOR   FORCING   VEGETABLES.  83 

that  the  night  temperature  will  average,  perhaps,  forty 
degrees  for  the  first  two  weeks  in  May  and  fifty  degrees 
for  the  last  weeks,  while  for  the  first  two  weeks  in  June 
it  will  be  about  sixty  degrees  at  night,  and  in  all  cases 
from  ten  to  fifteen  degrees  higher  in  the  day.  This, 
then,  is  our  rule  for  the  forcing-houses  :  Start  slowly, 
increasing  the  temperature  as  the  plant  develops  and 
ripens  its  fruit,  just  as  nature  does  in  the  field. 

Like  Cucumbers,  artificial  impregnation  is  necessary 
for  the  Strawberry  in  the  dull  winter  months.  This  is 
best  done  by  using  a  camel's  hair  pencil,  twirling  it  from 
one  flower  to  another — particularly  from  the  staminate  to 
the  pistillate  flowers — on  clear  days  if  possible,  and  allow- 
ing all  possible  ventilation.  Sometimes  hives  of  bees  are 
kept  in  Strawberry  and  Cucumber  forcing-houses,  to 
assist  in  the  impregnation. 

Some  judgment  is  necessary  in  watering  until  there 
are  indications  of  vigorous  growth.  Water  at  the  roots 
sparingly  ;  at  the  same  time,  do  not  allow  the  soil  to  get 
too  dry,  and  be  careful  not  to  water  the  plants  overhead 
when  in  bloom,  as  that  will  destroy  the  impregnation. 
When  the  fruit  has  "set,"  give  water  freely  whenever 
necessary,  and  throughout  the  whole  season  of  growth 
keep  the  atmosphere  of  the  house  well  charged  with 
moisture,  in  order  to  keep  down  the  Eed  Spider,  the  in- 
sect which  is  quickly  destructive  to 'both  Strawberries 
and  Cucumbers. 

The  kinds  of  Strawberries  which  seem  to  have  been  the 
favorites  for  forcing  are  the  Champion,  a  rather  dark 
crimson  berry  of  great  beauty  and  of  the  largest  size, 
with  occasional  trials  of  Jersey  Queen,  on  account  of  the 
great  size  and  beauty  of  the  fruit.  But  the  new  variety, 
raised  by  Mr.  Seymour,  of  Norwalk,  Conn.,  and  named 
in  our  honor,  "  The  Henderson,"  from  trials  made  with 
it,  is  likely  to  prove  the  most  valuable  variety  for  forcing 
purposes.  It  has  what  are  known  as  "perfect  flowers,  "and 


84  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

hence  is  certain  to  "  set "  fruit.  It  is  of  the  largest  size, 
of  beautiful  form  ;  color,  a  rich  shade  of  scarlet  crimson, 
the  surface  looking  as  if  varnished.  In  flavor  it  is  un- 
surpassed by  any  known  variety,  besides  having  a  rich 
and  powerful  aroma ;  these  peculiarities  make  it  specially 
attractive — a  necessity  for  forced  strawberries  when  re- 
tailed at  about  fifty  cents  a  berry,  for  in  the  winter 
months,  it  must  be  remembered,  they  sell  at  wholesale 
at  $6  per  quart,  and  it  takes  only  eighteen  to  twenty  large 
berries  to  make  a  quart. 

To  our  rural  readers  this  extraordinary  price  paid  for 
fruit  may  seem  incredible,  but  all  large  cities  contain 
people  who  are  rich  enough  to  afford  these  prices,  not 
only  for  fruits  but  for  flowers,  for  it  is  no  unusual  thing 
for  $1  and  even  $2  to  be  paid  for  single  rosebuds  of  the 
rarer  or  finer  sorts.  At  the  same  date  that  forced  Straw- 
berries are  selling  in  New  York  at  $6  per  quart,  or  forced 
Cucumbers  at '$6  per  dozen,  both  Strawberries  and  Cu- 
cumbers grown  in  the  Southern  States,  are  selling  at  one- 
sixth  these  prices,  but  the  quality,  of  course,  bears  no 
comparison  with  the  forced  commodities.  We  have  never 
ourselves  forced  either  Strawberries  or  Cucumbers  for 
market,  but  quite  a  number  in  the  vicinity  of  large  cities 
make  it  a  profitable  business.  In  fact,  there  is  compara- 
tively little  difference  in  the  profits  of  forcing-houses,  no 
matter  whether  they  are  devoted  to  growing  vegetables, 
fruits  or  flowers  ;  they  pay  well  for  the  investment  in  all 
cases  if  the  work  is  well  done. 

HEATING    BY   FLUES. 

For  beginners  with  small  means,  when  personal  atten- 
tion can  be  given  to  the  fires,  by  heating  greenhouses 
with  flues  a  great  saving  in  cost  can  be  made — in  fact, 
nearly  half  the  cost  of  construction  ;  for  we  find  that  the 
hot  water  heating  apparatus  is  usually  half  the  cost  of 
ordinary  commercial  greenhouses,  while  if  heated  by  flues 


FORCING-PITS   OR   GREENHOUSES.  85 

the  cost  of  these  would  not  be  more  than  ten  per  cent,  of 
the  whole.  A  new  method  of  constructing  flues  (or  rather 
a  revived  method,  for  it  originated  in  1822,)  has  been  in 
use  for  the  past  few  years,  which  has  such  manifest  ad- 
vantages that  many  now  use  it  who  would  no  doubt  other- 
wise have  used  hot  water  heating.  Its  peculiarity  consists 
in  running  the  flue  back  to  the  furnace  from  which  it 
starts  and  into  the  chimney,  which  is  built  on  the  top  of 
the  furnace.  As  soon  as  the  fire  is  lighted  in  the  furnace, 
the  brick-work  forming  the  arch  gets  heated,  and  at  once 
starts  an  upward  draft,  driving  out  the  cold  air  from  the 
chimney,  which  puts  the  smoke  flue  into  immediate  action 
and  maintains  it ;  hence  chere  is  never  any  trouble  about 
the  draft,  as  in  ordinary  flues  which  have  the  chimney  at 
the  most  distant  point  from  the  furnace. 

By  this  plan,  we  not  only  get  rid  of  the  violent  heat 
given  out  by  the  furnace,  but  at  the  same  time  it  insures 
a  complete  draft,  so  that  the  heated  air  from  the  furnace 
is  so  rapidly  carried  through  the  entire  length  of  the  flue 
that  it  is  nearly  as  hot  when  it  enters  the  chimney  as 
when  it  left  the  furnace.  This  perfect  draft  also  does 
away  with  all  danger  of  the  escape  of  gas  from  the  flues 
into  the  greenhouse,  which  often  happens  when  the  draft 
is  not  active.  Although  no  system  of  heating  by  smoke 
flues  is  so  satisfactory  as  by  hot  water,  yet  there  are  hun- 
dreds who  have  neither  the  means  nor  the  inclination  to 
go  to  the  greater  expense  of  hot  water  heating,  and  to 
such  this  revived  method  is  one  that  will,  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, simplify  and  cheapen  the  erection  of  greenhouses. 
Many  old-established  florists,  who  have  had  the  old  plan 
of  flues  in  use,  have  changed  them  to  the  one  here  de- 
scribed, and  with  great  satisfaction.  The  wonder  is  that 
such  an  important  fact  has  been  so  long  overlooked,  for 
at  the  time  it  was  discovered,  heating  greenhouses  by  flues 
was  almost  the  only  method  in  use. 

Figure  12  (scale,  one-eighth  of  an  inch  to  the  foot), 


GARDEXIKG   FOR   PROFIT. 


Fig.  12.— HOUSE  HEATED  BY  FLUE. 


FORCING-PITS  OR   GREENHOUSES. 


87 


shows  a  greenhouse  twenty  feet  wide  by  fifty  feet  long, 
with  furnace-room,  or  shed,  ten  by  twenty  feet.  Here 
the  flues  are  so  disposed  as  to  avoid  crossing  the  walkc, 
being  placed  under  the  center  bench,  but  as  near  as  pos- 
sible to  the  walk  on  each  side,  so  that  the  heat  may  be 
evenly  diffused  throughout.  If  a  difference  in  tempera- 
ture is  required  in  a  house  of  this  kind,  it  may  be  obtained 
by  running  a  glass  partition  across  the  house,  say  at 
twenty-five  feet  from  the  furnace  end,  which  will,  of 
course,  make  the  latter  end  the  hottest.  It  will  be 


Fig.  13. — END-SECTION. 

observed  that  the  plan  (figure  12)  shows  by  dotted  lines 
this  new  or  revived  plan  of  flue  heating.  Figure  13  (the 
same  scale)  is  a  section,  showing  the  arrangement  of  the 
benches,  etc. 

In  constructing  the  furnace  for  flue  heating,  the  size 
of  the  furnace  doors  should  be,  for  a  greenhouse  twenty 
by  fifty,  about  fourteen  inches  square,  and  the  length  of 
the  furnace  bars  thirty  inches;  the  furnace  should  be 
arched  over,  and  the  top  of  the  inside  of  the  arch  should 
be  about  twenty  inches  from  the  bars.  The  flue  will 
always  "draw"  better  if  slightly  on  the  ascent  through- 
out its  entire  length.  It  should  be  elevated,  in  all  cases, 
from  the  ground  on  flags  or  bricks,  so  that  its  heat  may 
be  given  out  on  all  sides.  The  inside  measure  of  the 
brick  flue  should  not  be  less  than  eisrht  bv  fourteen 


88  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

inches.  If  tiles  can  be  conveniently  procured,  they  are 
best  to  cover  with  ;  but,  if  not,  the  top  of  the  flue  may 
be  contracted  to  six  inches,  and  covered  with  bricks. 

After  the  flue  has  been  built  of  brick  to  twenty-five  or 
thirty  feet  from  the  furnace,  cement  or  vitrified  drain 
pipe,  eight  or  nine  inches  in  diameter,  should  be  used,  as 
they  are  not  only  cheaper,  but  radiate  the  heat  quicker 
than  the  bricks ;  they  are  also  much  easier  constructed 
and  cleaned.  Care  should  be  taken  that  no  wood-work  is 
in  contact  with  the  flue  at  any  place.  It  may  be  taken 
as  a  safe  rule  that  wood-work  should  in  no  case  be  nearer 
the  flue  or  furnace  than  eight  inches.  In  constructing 
do  not  be  influenced  by  what  the  mechanics  will  tell  you, 
as  few  of  them  have  had  any  experience  in  such  matters, 
and  are  not  able  to  judge  of  the  dangers  resulting  from 
wood-work  being  in  close  contact  with  the  heated  bricks. 

The  cost  of  such  a  greenhouse,  twenty  by  fifty  feet, 
heated  by  flue,  when  built  alone,  would  be,  at  present 
prices  in  this  vicinity,  about  $12  per  running  foot,  or 
$600  ;  but  if  three  were  built  together,  connected  at  the 
gutters,  and  thus  save  the  outer  walls,  as  shown  in  the 
chapter  on  Forcing  Pits  and  Greenhouses  in  another  part 
of  this  book,  the  cost  of  construction  for  three  houses 
heated  by  smoke  flues  would  not  exceed  $10  per  running 
foot,  or  $1,500  for  three  houses  each  twenty  by  fifty  feet. 


SEEDS   AND   SEED   RAISING.  89 

CHAPTER     XI. 
SEEDS  AND  SEED  RAISING. 

If  there  is  one  thing  of  paramount  importance  in  veg- 
etable gardening  it  is  purity  of  seed ;  and  for  this  reason 
the  seed  offered  by  seedsmen  should  be  tested  not  only 
for  its  germinating  qualities,  but  for  its  genuineness  of 
kind.  The  test  of  germination  is  easy  enough,  and  there 
is  rarely  any  trouble  with  that ;  but  to  be  certain  that 
the  variety  is  true  to  its  kind,  is  a  matter  requiring  time 
and  a  knowledge  of  varieties. 

In  our  own  practice  no  important  seeds,  such  as  Melons, 
Cucumbers,  Cabbages,  Cauliflowers,  Lettuce,  Celery,  Rad- 
ishes or  Beets,  are  ever  sold  until  tested  in  our  Trial 
Grounds,  consequently  they  are  never  sold  until  they  are 
a  year  old,  or  after  we  have  had  an  opportunity  to  prove, 
beyond  any  question,  that  they  are  genuine  or  true  to  their 
kinds.  But  as  all  these  seeds  are  just  as  good  four  or 
five  years  old — some  of  them  really  better — this  want  of 
"freshness,"  as  some  might  term  it,  is  no  disadvantage 
whatever.  It  is  quite  a  common  practice  for  market 
gardeners  to  purchase  from  us,  when  they  are  pleased 
with  some  special  strain  of  seed,  as  much  of  it  as  they 
will  use  for  three  years,  so  as  to  be  certain  beyond  doubt 
that  they  have  the  kind  they  want. 

Thirty  years  ago  the  market  gardeners  grew  nearly  all 
their  own  seeds,  as  in  those  days  we  had  hardly  any 
seedsmen  that  knew  anything  about  varieties,  and  conse- 
quently the  market  gardeners  dared  not  risk  their  crops 
in  buying  from  them.  I  remember  on  one  occasion  the 
seed  crop  of  our  indispensable  Wakefield  Cabbage  failed 
with  nearly  all  of  us.  There  was  only  one  man  among 
us  who  had  had  foresight  enough  to  have  a  two  years' 
supply  ;  I  offered  him  850  per  pound,  but  could  not  pro- 


90  GARDENING   FOR   PEOFIT. 

cure  an  ounce  from  him,  and  as  no  one  cared  to  risk  the 
seed  stores  in  those  days  for  Wakefield  Cabbage  seed,  he 
had  the  whole  field  to  himself.  He  planted  nearly  ten 
acres  with  this  variety,  which  coming  in  some  eight  or 
ten  days  earlier  than  anything  else,  he  made  a  little  for- 
tune by  his  being  able  to  have  a  monopoly  of  the  seed. 
That  is  now  over  thirty  years  ago,  but  I  have  never 
known  a  Jersey  gardener  to  be  out  of  Wakefield  Cabbage 
seed  since,  and  not  know  where  to  get  it.  Before  we 
adopted  the  system  of  proving  seeds  in  our  Trial  Grounds, 
we  often  suffered  severe  losses.  I  remember  once  getting 
from  one  of  my  neighbors — a  market  gardener — a  pound 
of  what  he  honestly  thought  was  Silesia  Lettuce,  but 
which  proved  to  be  Curled  India.  I  used  it  for  planting 
in  my  forcing-frames,  which  resulted  in  nearly  an  entire 
loss  of  the  crop.  The  India  Lettuce  is  a  summer  variety, 
maturing  in  the  hottest  weather,  and  consequently  almost 
useless  for  forcing.  This  blunder  entailed  on  me  a  loss 
of  over  a  thousand  dollars.  A  year  or  two  ago,  we  im- 
ported from  England  500  pounds  of  one  of  the  leading 
kinds  of  Celery,  from  a  source  that  in  twenty  years  had 
always  proved  to  be  correct.  Our  Trial  Ground  test 
showed  it  to  be  worthless,  as  it  was  lank  growing  and 
hollow  stemmed  ;  had  we  not  put  it  through  the  crucial 
test  of  our  Trial  Grounds,  we  would  have  spread  serious 
disaster  among  hundreds  of  our  market  garden  cus- 
tomers. 

There  is  but  little  new  to  say  of  the  manner  of  raising 
seeds ;  the  importance  of  selecting  the  purest  specimens 
of  each  variety,  and  of  keeping  plants  that  are  of  the 
same  families  apart  as  far  distant  as  the  limits  of  the 
ground  will  admit,  is  now  well  understood.  It  is  not 
practicable,  however,  to  raise  all  the  seeds  wanted  in  our 
vegetable  gardens  in  our  climate,  and  consequently  we 
have  to  rely  on  importation  for  seeds  of  Broccoli,  Cauli- 
flower, some  varieties  of  Cabbage,  Radishes,  Peas,  etc. 


SEEDS   AKD   SEED   RAISING.  91 

But  the  great  majority  of  seeds  used  are  raised  here,  our 
climate  being  particularly  well  adapted  for  maturing 
them.  In  the  raising  of  market  vegetables,  near  large 
cities,  the  usual  practice  is  for  each  grower  to  grow  only 
a  few  varieties,  and  these  of  the  sorts  most  profitable  to 
his  location  or  soil.  For  example,  we  of  New  Jersey,  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  New  York,  grow  Beets,  Cab- 
bages, Cauliflowers,  Cucumbers,  Lettuce,  Radishes  and 
Turnips  as  a  first  crop,  followed  by  Celer/,  Thyme, 
Sage,  Broccoli  and  late  Cabbage  as  a  second  crop  ;  but  in 
the  more  southern  counties  of  the  State,  where  crops  ma- 
ture ten  or  twelve  days  earlier,  but  the  distance  greater 
from  market,  the  bulkier  and  cheaper  articles  are  not 
grown,  and  only  the  more  portable  and  (when  early) 
valuable  kinds  are  raised,  of  which  Tomatoes,  Melons, 
Peas,  Kidney  Beans,  Early  Turnips  and  Beets  are  the 
staple  articles. 

Seed  growing,  as  practiced  by  market  gardeners,  is  on 
much  too  small  a  scale  to  make  it  profitable  ;  in  fact, 
there  is  hardly  a  seed  raised,  but  costs  much  more  than 
what  it  can  be  purchased  for  from  the  seedsmen.  Seeds- 
men are  supplied  by  regular  seed  growers,  who  make  a 
special  business  of  it ;  they  are  located  in  nearly  every 
State  in  the  Union,  as  the  proper  geographical  distribu- 
tion of  where  seeds  are  grown,  is  found  to  be  of  the  first 
importance ;  tropical  seeds,  such  as  Melons,  Cucum- 
bers, Egg  plants,  and  Tomatoes,  doing  better  in  higher 
temperatures,  while  Cabbages,  Peas,  etc.,  do  better  in 
colder  latitudes.  California  is  becoming  an  important 
seed  growing  State,  its  climatic  conditions  being  favor- 
able for  nearly  all  kinds  of  seeds.  Seed  growers,  as  a 
whole,  are  a  highly  responsible  class  of  men,  who  thor- 
oughly understand  the  business,  and  are  now  successfully 
competing  with  the  English  and  French  growers,  from 
whom,  only  a  few  years  ago,  nearly  all  our  seeds  were 
imported.  By  being  able  to  get  the  seeds  grown  in  our 


92  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

own  country,  we  are  able  to  supervise  the  growing  of 
them,  and,  consequently,  the  risk  of  error  in  getting 
spurious  or  inferior  varieties  is  now  very  small  indeed. 
Hence  there  is  now  no  necessity  for  the  market  gardeners 
to  grow  their  own  seeds,  when  they  can  be  confident  of 
getting  what  they  want  from  the  seedsman  at  half  the 
price  at  which  they  can  be  grown  by  the  market  gardener; 
for  while  the  seedsman  contracts  for  tons,  raised  with 
all  the  appliances  for  saving  seed  in  the  best  man- 
ner, the  market  gardener  can  only  grow  a  few  pounds 
on  his  usually  limited  area.  As  a  result  of  the  mar- 
ket gardeners  growing  their  own  seeds,  may  be  mentioned 
the  fact  that  the  Chinese  gardeners  in  California,  by 
reason  of  saving  their  own  seeds,  have  let  varieties  so  run 
down  as  to  be  hardly  recognizable  as  the  best  types  as 
now  grown  by  our  best  Eastern  market  gardeners.  How- 
ever, no  gardener  should  risk  his  crop  without  testing 
the  seed,  unless  lie  has  implicit  confidence  in  the  source 
from  whence  it  has  been  purchased. 

It  will  be  understood  that  of  all  annual  plants,  such 
as  Beans,  Corn,  Cucumbers,  Egg  Plants,  Lettuce, 
Melons,  Peas,  Radishes,  Tomatoes,  etc.,  the  seed  is 
saved  the  season  of  planting,  and  should  be  always  taken 
from  those  first  maturing,  if  earliness  is  an  object.  The 
seeds  of  biennial  vegetables,  such  as  Beets,  Carrots, 
Celery,  Cabbages,  Onions,  Leeks,  Parsley,  Parsnips,  etc., 
are  raised  by  selecting  the  best  specimens  from  those 
preserved  over  winter,  planting  them  out  in  good  soil  on 
the  opening  of  spring,  at  distances  such  as  are  recom- 
mended for  their  growing. 

DURATION  OF  GERMINATION'  IN  SEEDS. — There  are 
very  few  seeds  that  will  not  germinate  as  freely  the 
second  year  as  the  first,  if  properly  kept  in  a  cool  place, 
and  not  exposed  to  either  a  too  drying  or  too  damp  an 
atmosphere.  With  the  exception  of  Parsnips,  Onions 
and  Leeks,  I  would  just  as  confidently  sow  seed  two 


SEEDS   AND   SEED-RAISING.  93 

years  old  as  when  fresh,  gathered  ;  but  there  is  a  limit 
to  the  vitality  of  seeds,  varying  much  in  the  different 
families. 

Among  those  only  safe  for  two  years  are  :  Beans  and 
Peas  of  all  kinds,  Peppers,  Carrot,  Corn,  Egg  Plant, 
Okra,  Salsify,  Thyme,  Sage,  and  Rhubarb. 

Those  safe  for  three  years  :  Asparagus,  Endive,  Let- 
tuce, Parsley,  Spinach,  and  Radish. 

Those  safe  for  five  years  :  Broccoli,  Cauliflower,  Cab- 
bage, Celery,  and  Turnip. 

Those  possessing  the  greatest  vitality  are  :  Beet,  Cu- 
cumber, Melon,  Pumpkin,  Squash,  and  Tomato  ;  the 
time  ranging  from  six  to  ten  years. 

Market  gardeners  find  this  knowledge  very  valuable ; 
for  example,  in  procuring  the  stock  of  a  seed  known  to 
be  good,  of  a  variety  that  does  not  seed  the  season  it  is 
marketable,  such  as  Broccoli,  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  or 
Celery,  we  procure  enough  to  last  at  least  two  seasons. 
The  first  season  only  a  little  is  sown,  to  test  the  merit  of 
the  variety,  for  we  are  never  incautious  enough  to  risk 
a  full  crop  with  one  experiment.  If  it  proves  valuable, 
we  have  enough  in  reserve  to  sow  for  a  full  crop,  know- 
ing that  it  is  sure  to  germinate.  This  was  particularly 
the  case  with  our  New  Dwarf  Celery.  On  the  recommen- 
dation of  a  friend  I  imported  ten  pounds  of  the  seed, 
but,  doubtful  of  l.io w  it  would  suit  our  market,  only  as 
much  was  sown  as  would  furnish  a  few  hundred  plants. 
These  showed  so  much  superiority,  in  all  respects,  to 
the  tall  varieties  that  we  had  been  growing,  that  the 
following  season  I  put  in  half  my  crop  with  the  dwarf 
seed.  The  thing  was  entirely  new  in  our  market,  and  so 
much  superior  that  it  sold  for  prices  that  would  seem 
incredible.  My  ten  pound  bag  was  not  half  exhausted, 
and  the  next  season  I  planted  my  whole  crop,  fourteen 
acres,  containing  nearly  half  a  million  roots,  and  made 


94  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

one  of  the  best  hits  I  ever  made  in  gardening.  But  by 
this  time  my  neighbors  began  to  take  an  unusual  interest 
in  my  Celery  crop,  and  I  could  monopolize  the  variety 
no  longer.  The  originator  of  our  New  White  Plume 
Celery,  which  will  be  described  elsewhere,  made  an 
equally  good  hit  before  his  neighbors  waked  up  to  the 
importance  of  its  merits. 

A  frequent  source  of  complaint  is  the  fact  of  seeds 
failing  to  germinate  during  long  continued  dry  weather, 
and  it  is  very  important  that  the  gardener  should  always 
apply  common-sense  to  his  work,  and  not  simply  follow 
routine,  for  what  will  suit  for  one  condition  of  soil  or 
atmosphere  would  be  unnecessary,  or  even  wrong,  for 
another.  I  will  give  a  case  to  illustrate.  About  the 
fifth  of  May  of  1871,  I  sowed  a  large  patch  of  open 
ground  with  Celery  seed,  and  another  with  Cabbage 
seed.  The  soil  was  in  fine  order,  and  the  beds,  after 
sowing,  were  raked — the  Celery  with  a  fine  steel  rake, 
the  Cabbage  with  a  large  wooden  rake,  which  covered 
the  seed  of  each  to  the  regular  depth.  The  weather  was 
dry,  with  indications  of  its  continuing  so,  and  after  sow- 
ing I  had  both  the  Cabbage  and  Celery  beds  rolled 
heavily,  leaving,  however,  a  strip  of  each  unrolled,  so 
that  I  could  clearly  show  to  some  of  my  young  men  what 
the  result  of  this  omission  would  be  if  dry  weather  con- 
tinued. Had  a  heavy  rain  fallen  within  a  day  or  two 
after  sowing,  it  would  have  compacted  the  soil  and  pro- 
duced the  effect  of  rolling  it.  But  we  had  no  rain  for 
three  or  four  weeks,  and  a  burning-hot  atmosphere,  pass- 
ing through  the  shallow,  loose  covering  of  the  seeds, 
shriveled  and  dried  them  up  so  that  it  was  impossible 
they  could  ever  germinate.  This  little  experiment  re- 
sulted exactly  as  any  one  having  experience  in  seed-sow- 
ing knew  it  must ;  our  crop  of  Celery  and  Cabbage 
plants  were  as  fine  as  need  be  on  the  rolled  bed,  while 
not  one  seed  in  a  thousand  of  the  Celery,  and  not  one  in 


SEEDS  AND   SEED   KAISIXG.  95 

a  hundred  of  the  Cabbage  started  in  the  strips  where  the 
soil  was  left  loose. 

In  the  sowing  of  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  or  Lettuce  in 
September,  the  same  precaution  had  better  be  used. 
But  in  small  beds,  such  as  are  usually  taken  for  these,  if 
a  roller  is  not  at  hand,  after  raking  the  beds  the  soil 
should  be  firmly  patted  with  the  back  of  the  spade  ;  this 
not  only  produces  quicker  and  more  certain  germination, 
but  it  leaves  the  surface  of  the  bed  smooth,  so  that  the 
plants  come  up  straighter  than  if  the  beds  were  left 
rough.  We  consider  the  practice  of  soaking  seeds  worse 
than  useless.  For  fuller  instructions  on  this,  one  of 
the  most  important  of  all  garden  operations,  see  Chapter 
on  the  "Use  of  the  Feet  in  Sowing  and  Planting." 
The  greater  part  of  this  chapter  has  been  already  pub- 
lished in  my  book,  entitled  "How  the  Farm  Pays,"  as 
well  as  portions  of  it  in  some  of  our  seed  catalogues. 
Believing  it  is  of  vital  importance,  I  think  it  cannot 
be  too  often  repeated.  I  have  been  writing  on  Horti- 
culture for  nearly  forty  years,  but  I  consider  that  I  have 
benefited  the  farmers  and  gardeners  of  the  United  States 
more  by  the  instructions  given  in  the  "  Use  of  the  Feet 
in  Sowing  and  Planting,"  than  by  any  other  article  I 
have  ever  written. 


96  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

C  H  AFTER    XII. 
THE  USE  OF  THE  FEET  IN  SOWING  AND  PLANTING. 

[Read  before  the  National  Association  of  Nurserymen,  held  at  Cleveland,  O., 
by  Peter  Henderson.] 

It  may  be  useless  to  throw  out  any  suggestions  in  rela- 
tion to  horticultural  operations  to  such  a  body  of  prac- 
tical men  as  is  now  before  me.  Yet  I  candidly  admit 
that,  although  I  have  been  extensively  engaged  in  gar- 
dening operations  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  I  did 
not  fully  realize,  until  a  few  years  ago,  the  full  impor- 
tance of  how  indispensable  'it  was  to  use  the  feet  in  the 
operations  of  sowing  and  planting. 

For  some  years  past  I  have,  in  writing  on  gardening 
matters,  insisted  upon  the  great  importance  of  "  firming  " 
the  soil  over  the  seeds  after  sowing,  especially  when  the 
soil  is  dry,  or  likely  to  become  so.  I  know  of  no  oper- 
ation of  more  importance  in  either  the  farm  or  garden, 
and  I  trust  that  what  I  am  about  to  say  will  be  read  arid 
remembered  by  every  one  not  yet  aware  of  the  vast  im- 
portance of  the  practice.  I  say  "vast  importance/'  for 
the  loss  to  the  agricultural  and  horticultural  community 
from  the  habit  of  loosely  sowing  seeds  or  setting  out 
plants  in  hot  and  dry  soils,  is  of  a  magnitude  which  few 
will  believe  until  they  have  witnessed  it ;  and  it  is  a 
loss  all  the  more  to  be  regretted,  when  we  know  that  by 
"  firming"  the  soil  around  the  seed  or  plant,  there  is,  in 
most  cases,  a  certain  preventive. 

Particularly  in  the  sowing  of  seeds,  I  consider  the 
matter  of  such  great  importance  that  it  cannot  be  too 
often  or  too  strongly  told  ;  for  the  loss  to  the  agricultural 
and  horticultural  community  by  the  neglect  of  the 
simple  operation  of  firming  the  soil  around  the  seed 


USE   OF   THE   FEET   IN   SOWING   AND   PLANTING.       97 

must  amount  to  many  millions  annually.  For  the  mis- 
chief done  is  not  confined  only  to  the  less  important 
garden  operations,  but  even  Corn,  Cotton,  AYheat,  Tur- 
nips and  other  important  crops  of  the  farm  often  fail, 
in  hot  and  drj  soils,  by  being  sown  without  being  firmed 
sufficiently  to  prevent  the  dry  air  shriveling  or  drying 
the  seeds.  Of  course,  the  use  of  the  feet  is  impractic- 
able in  firming  seeds  on  the  farm,  but  a  heavy  roller, 
applied  after  sowing,  is  an  absolute  necessity  under  cer- 
tain conditions  of  the  soil,  to  insure  perfect  germination. 
From  the  middle  of  April  to  nearly  the  end  of  May  of 
this  year,  in  many  sections  of  the  country,  there  was 
little  or  no  rain.  Such  was  particularly  the  case  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  City,  where  we  have  hundreds  of 
market  gardenprs,  who  cultivate  thousands  of  acres  of 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Celery,  but  the  "  dry  spring •' 
has  played  sad  havoc  with  their  seed-beds.  Celery  is 
not  one-fourth  of  a  crop,  and  Cabbage  and  Cauliflower 
hardly  half,  and  this  failure  is  due  to  no  other  cause  than 
that  they  persist  in  sowing  their  seeds  without  even  tak- 
ing the  precaution  to  firm  the  soil  by  rolling. 

We  sow  annually  about  four  acres  of  Celery,  Cabbage 
and  Cauliflower  plants,  which 'produce  probably  five 
millions  in  number,  and  which  we  never  fail  to  sell 
mostly  in  our  immediate  neighborhood  to  the  market 
gardeners,  who  have,  many  of  them,  even  better  facil- 
ities than  we  have  for  raising  these  plants,  if  they  would 
only  do  as  we  do,  firm  the  seed  after  sowing,  which  is 
done  thus  : 

After  plowing,  harrowing  and  leveling  the  land 
smoothly,  lines  are  drawn  by  the  "  marker,"  which 
makes  furrows  about  two  inches  deep  and  a  foot  apart  ; 
after  the  man  who  sows  the  seed  follows  another,  who, 
with  the  ball  of  the  right  foot,  presses  down  his  full 
weight  on  every  inch  of  soil  in  the  drill  where  the  seed 
has  been  sown  ;  the  rows  are  then  lightly  leveled  longi- 


98  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

tudinaliy  with  the  rake,  a  light  roller  is  passed  over 
them,  and  the  operation  is  done. 

By  this  method  our  crop  has  never  once  failed,  and 
what  is  true  of  Celery  and  Cabbage  seed  is  nearly  as  true 
of  all  other  seeds  requiring  to  be  sown  during  the  late 
spring  or  summer  months. 

On  July  3d  of  1874,  as  an  experiment,  I  sowed  twelve 
rows  of  Sweet  Corn  and  twelve  rows  of  Beets,  treading 
in,  after  sowing,  every  alternate  row  of  each.  In  both 
cases,  those  trodden  in  came  up  in  four  days,  while  those 
unfirmed  remained  twelve  days  before  starting,  and 
would  not  then  have  germinated  had  not  rain  fallen,  for 
the  soil  was  as  dry  as  dust  when  the  seed  was  sown. 

The  result  was  that  the  seeds  that  had  been  trodden 
in  grew  freely  from  the  start,  and  matured  their  crops 
to  a  marketable  condition  by  fall  ;  while  the  rows  un- 
firmed did  not  mature,  as  they  were  not  only  eight  days 
later  in  germinating,  but  the  plants  were  also,  to  some 
extent,  enfeebled  by  being  partially  dried  in  the  loose, 
dry  soil. 

This  experiment  was  a  most  useful  one,  for  it  proved 
that  a  corn  crop,  sown  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  as 
late  as  July  2d,  could  be  made  to  produce  "roasting 
ears"  in  October,  when  they  never  fail  to  sell  freely  at 
high  rates,  but  the  crop  would  not  mature  unless  the 
seed  germinated  at  once,  and  which  would  never  be  cer- 
tain at  that  dry  and  hot  season,  unless  by  this  method. 

The  same  season,  in  August,  I  treated  seeds  of  Tur- 
nips and  Spinach  in  the  same  way.  Those  trodden  in  ger- 
minated at  once  and  made  an  excellent  crop,  while  those 
unfirmed  germinated  feebly,  and  were  eventually  nearly 
all  burned  out  by  a  continuance  of  dry,  hot  air  penetrat- 
ing through  the  loose  soil  to  the  tender  rootlets. 

I  beg  to  caution  the  inexperienced,  however,  by  no 
means  to  tread  or  roll  in  seed  if  the  ground  is  not  dry. 
The  soil  may  often  be  in  a  suitable  condition  to  sow, 


USE    OF   THE   FEET   LN    SOWING   AND   PLANTIlxG.       99 

and  yet  may  be  too  damp  to  be  trodden  upon  or  rolled. 
In  such  cases  these  operations  may  not  be  necessary  at 
all.  lor  if  rainy  weather  ensue,  the  seeds  will  germinate 
of  course  ;  but  if  there  is  any  likelihood  of  a  continued 
drouth,  the  treading  or  rolling  may  be  done  a  week  or 
more  after  the  seed  has  been  sown,  if  there  is  any  reason 
to  believe  that  it  may  suffer  from  the  dry,  hot  air.  An- 
other very  important  advantage  gained  by  treading  in 
the  seed  is,  that  when  we  have  crops  of  Beets,  Celery, 
Turnips,  Spinach,  or  anything  else  that  is  .sown  in  rows, 
the  seeds  to  form  the  crop  come  up  at  once  ;  while  the 
seeds  of  the  weeds,  that  are  just  as  liable  to  perish  by  the 
heat  as  are  those  of  the  crop,  are  retarded.  Such  of  the 
weed  seeds  as  lie  in  the  space  between  the  rows  where  the 
soil  is  loose  will  not  germinate  as  quickly  as  those  of  the 
crop  sown ;  and  hence  we  can  cultivate  between  the  rows 
before  the  weeds  germinate  at  all. 

Of  course,  this  rule  of  treading  in  or  firming  seeds 
after  sowing,  must  not  be  blindly  followed.  Very  early 
in  spring  or  late  in  fall,  when  the  soil  is  damp  and  there 
is  no  danger  from  heated,  dry  air,  there  is  no  necessity 
for  doing  so. 

Now,  if  firming  the  soil  around  seed,  to  protect  it 
from  the  influence  of  a  dry  and  hot  atmosphere,  is  a 
necessity,  it  is  obvious  that  it  is  more  so  in  the  case  of 
plants  whose  rootlets  are  even  more  sensitive  to  such  in- 
fluence than  the  dormant  seed. 

Experienced  professional  horticulturists,  however,  are 
less  likely  -to  neglect  this  than  to  neglect  in  the  case  of 
seeds,  for  the  damage  from  such  neglect  is  easier  to  be 
seen,  and  hence  better  understood,  by  the  practical 
nurseryman  ;  but  writh  the  inexperienced  amateur  the 
case  is  different.  When  he  receives  his  package  of  trees 
or  plants  from  the  nurseryman,  he  handles  them  as  if 
they  were  glass,  every  broken  twig  or  root  calls  forth  a 
complaint,  and  he  proceeds  to  plant  them,  gingerly 


100  GARDENING  FOB 

straightening  out  each  root  and  sifting  the  soil  around 
them,  but  he  would  no  more  stamp  down  that  soil  than 
he  would  stamp  on  the  soil  of  his  mother's  grave.  So 
the  plant,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  is  left  loose  and 
wabbling ;  the  dry  air  penetrates  through  the  soil  to  its 
roots ;  the  winds  shake  it ;  it  shrivels  up  and  fails  to 
grow  ;  and  then  come  the  anathemas  on  the  head  of  the 
unfortunate  nurseryman,  who  is  charged  with  selling 
him  dead  trees  or  plants. 

About  a  month  ago  I  sent  a  package  of  a  dozen  roses 
by  mail  to  a  lady  in  Savannah.  She  wrote  me  a  woful 
story  last  week,  saying  that,  though  the  roses  had 
arrived  seemingly  all  right,  they  had  all  died  but  one, 
and  what  was  very  singular,  she  said,  the  one  that  lived 
was  the  one  that  Mr.  Jones  had  stepped  on,  and  which 
she  had  thought  sure  was  crushed  to  death,  for  Mr. 
.Jones  weighs  200  pounds.  Now,  though  I  do  not  advise 
any  gentleman  of  200  pounds  putting  his  brogan  on  the 
top  of  a  tender  rose  plant,  as  a  practice  conducive  to  its 
health,  yet,  if  Mrs.  Jones  could  have  allowed  her  weighty 
lord  to  press  the  soil  against  the  root  of  each  of  her 
dozen  roses,  I  much  doubt  if  she  would  now  have  to 
mourn  their  loss. 

It  has  often  been  a  wonder  to  many  of  us,  who  have 
been  workers  in  the  soil  for  a  generation,  how  some  of 
the  simplest  methods  of  culture  have  not  been  practiced 
until  we  were  nearly  done  with  life's  work. 

There  are  few  of  us  but  have  had  such  experience  ; 
personally,  I  must  say  that  I  never  pass  through  a  year 
but  I  am  confounded  to  find  that  some  operation  cannot 
only  be  done  quicker,  but  done  better,  than  we  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  doing  it. 

These  improvements  loom  up  from  various  causes,  but 
mainly  from  suggestions  thrown  out  by  our  employees  in 
charge  of  special  departments,  a  system  which  we  do  all 
in  our  power  to  encourage. 


USE  OF   THE   FEET   IX    SOWIXG^N^PJ.A.^TI^^  ^  1]>1 

As  a  proof  of  the  value  of  such  improvements  which 
have  led  to  simplifying  our  operations,  I  Avill  state  the 
fact  that  though  my  area  of  greenhouse  surface  is  now 
more  than  double  that  which  it  was  in  1870,  and  the 
land  used  in  our  florist's  business  is  one-tl;ird  more,  the 
number  of  hands  employed  is  less  now  than  in  1870,  and 
yet,  at  the  same  time,  the  quality  of  our  stock  is  vastly 
better  now  than  then. 

Whether  it  is  the  higher  price  of  labor  in  this  country 
that  forces  us  into  labor-saving  expedients,  or  the  inter- 
change of  opinions  from  the  greater  number  of  nation- 
alities centering  here,  that  gives  us  broader  views  of  cul- 
ture, I  am  not  prepared  to  state  ;  but  that  America  is 
now  selling  nearly  all  the  products  of  the  greenhouse, 
garden,  nursery  and  farm  lower  than  is  done  in  Europe, 
admits  of  no  question  ;  and  if  my  homely  suggestions  in 
this  matter  of  firming  the  soil  around  newly  planted 
seeds  or  plants  will  in  any  degree  assist  us  in  still  holding 
to  the  front,  I  shall  be  gratified. 

In  the  summer  of  1886  I  had  a  visit  from  one  of  the 
market  gardeners  of  Norfolk,  Va.,  who  told  me  that  he 
annually  grows  fifty  acres  of  Spinach,  but  that  often  by 
dry  weather  in  autumn,  only  a  partial  crop  was  obtained, 
owing  to  the  failure  of  the  seed  to  germinate.  I  asked 
him  if  he  trod  in  the  seed  with  the  feet ;  he  said  no,  that 
it  would  be  quite  a  big  job  to  tread  in  rows  at  one  foot 
apart  on  an  area  of  fift}r  acres.  A  little  calculation 
showed  that  it  could  be  done  for  less  than  $50,  and  when 
it  is  known 'that  a  good  crop  of  Spinach  grown  in  Nor- 
folk will  sell  in  the  markets  of  New  York  for  at  least 
$300  an  acre,  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  it  would  hardly 
be  worth  while  to  withhold  $1  per  acre  extra  labor,  if  it 
would,  as  it  undoubtedly  would  in  many  cases,  secure  a 
crop.  Seedsmen  have  more  complaint  of  Spinach  seed 
failing  to  germinate  than  perhaps  anything  else,  as  it  has 
usually  to  be  sown  in  hot,  dry  weather,  but  failure  would 


G'ARD^IXG   FOR   PROFIT. 


rarely  occur  if  after  sowing  the  seed  the  soil  was  carefully 
pressed  down  with  the  feet. 

It  was  rather  an  amusing  incident  that  first  brought 
to  the  attention  or  a  truck  farmer  of  Charleston,  S.  C., 
the  importance  of  firming  the  soil.  It  seems  that  a  gen- 
tleman of  color,  having  the  constitutional  weakness  for 
chickens  peculiar  to  some  of  his  race,  got  into  a  hen 
roost  and  helped  himself  bountifully.  In  evading  the 
highroad,  he  struck  a  bee-line  through  a  newly-sown 
Turnip  field,  where  he  left  tracks  that  led  to  his  detec- 
tion. But  these  tracks  did  more.  They  showed  to 
Squire  Buncombe,  whose  chickens  had  suffered,  that 
wherever  the  foot  of  the  colored  citizen  had  fallen,  there 
he  had  a  "  stand"  of  Turnips  and  nowhere  else  (for  they 
had  been  loosely  sown  and  the  weather  was  dry).  The 
lesson  shot  home  and  has  been  worth  tens  of  thousgnds 
of  dollars  to  the  farmers  of  South  Carolina,  who,  it 
seems,  were  never  before  sufficiently  alive  to  the  impor- 
tance of  firming  the  soil  until  the  unfortunate  negro 
showed  them  the  way.  The  world  has  often  raised  mon- 
uments to  men  who  have  done  far  less  to  benefit  their 
fellows  than  this  poor  negro  unconsciously  did  for  the 
farmers  of  North  Carolina. 


HOW,  WH-EX   AND    WHERE   TO   SOW    SEEDS.  103 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
HOW,  WHEN  AND  WHERE  TO  SOW  SEEDS. 

As  seed  sowing  is  the  starting  point  of  cropping,  a 
thorough,  knowledge  of  the  conditions  necessary  for  the 
germination  of  the  different  varieties  will  go  far  towards 
putting  the  tyro  in  gardening  well  on  the  way  to  success. 
The  very  general  want  of  knowledge  in  this  matter  is  too 
often  the  cause  of  much  undeserved  censure  upon  the 
seedsman,  for  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  failure  is  not 
with  the  seeds,  but  results  from  the  time  or  manner  of 
sowing.  When  the  owner  of  a  garden  sends  his  order 
for  seeds  to  the  seedsman,  it  is  generally  a  complete  list 
of  all  he  wants  for  the  season.  They  are  received,  and 
the  interesting  operation  of  sowing  is  begun  :  first  in  a 
hot  bed,  if  he  has  one,  often  as  early  as  the  first  week  in 
February  (which  in  the  latitude  of  New  York  is  a  month 
too  soon),  and  in  go  indiscriminately,  at  the  same  date 
and  under  the  same  sash,  his  seeds  of  Cabbage,  Cauli- 
flower, Lettuce,  and  Egg  Plant,  Peppers  and  Tomatoes. 
Yet  even  in  the  waning  heat  of  this  early  hot-bed,  where 
a  thermometer  would  possibly  not  indicate  more  than 
fifty  degrees,  he  finds  in  a  week  or  so  his  Cabbage,  Let- 
tuce, and  Cauliflower  "coming  through"  nicely,  but  as 
yet  no  Egg  Plants,  Peppers,  or  Tomatoes.  He  impatiently 
waits  another  week,  makes  an  examination,  and  discovers 
that  instead  of  his  Tomatoes  and  Egg  Plants  beginning 
to  vegetate,  they  are  commencing  to  rot.  It  is  now  plain 
to  him  that  he  has  been  cheated ;  he  has  been  sold  old 
seed,  and  if  he  does  nothing  worse,  he  forever  after  looks 
upon  the  seedsman  he  has  patronized  as  a  venal  wretch, 
destitute  of  principle  and  honesty.  But  he  must  have 


104  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

Tomatoes,  Peppers,  and  Egg  Plants,  and  lie  buys  again, 
but  this  time  from  another  seedsman,  warranted  honest. 
He  renews  his  hot-bed — it  is  now  a  month  later,  and  a 
bright  .March  sun,  with  milder  nights,  give  him  the 
proper  temperature  in  his  hot-bed  (seventy  or  eighty  de- 
grees)— and  his  eyes  are  at  last  gladdened  by  the  sprout- 
ing of  the  troublesome  seed.  April  comes  with  warm 
sunshine,  inviting  him  to  begin  to  "make  garden"  out- 
side. He  has  yet  the  balance  of  the  original  lot  of  seeds 
that  he  bought  in  February.  But  as  he  is  still  entirely 
befogged  about  the  cause  of  his  failure  in  the  first  hot- 
bed, he  begins  his  open  ground  operations  with  little 
confidence  in  his  seeds,  but  as  he  has  got  them,  they  may 
as  well  be  tried.  And  again  he  sows,  on  the  same  day,  his 
Peas  and  Lima  Beans,  Radishes  and  Pumpkins,  Onions 
and  Sweet  Corn.  Hardy  and  tender  get  the  same  treat- 
ment. The  result  must  of  necessity  be  the  same  as  it 
was  in  the  hot-bed  ;  the  hardy  seeds  duly  vegetate,  while 
the  tender  are  of  course  rotted.  This  time  he  is  not  sur- 
prised, for  he  is  already  convinced  that  seedsman  No.  1 
is  a  rascal,  and  only  wonders  how  any  of  his  seeds  grew 
at  all,  so  he  again  orders  from  seedsman  No.  2  for  the 
articles  that  have  failed.  Here  circumstances  continue 
to  favor  the  latter,  for  by  this  time  the  season  has  ad- 
vanced in  its  temperature,  and  the  seeds  duly  vegetate. 
Every  experienced  farmer  knows  that  in  this  latitude  he 
can  sow  Oats  or  Wheat  in  March  or  April,  but  if  he 
sows  his  Corn  or  Pumpkins  at  the  same  time  they  will 
perish  ;  this  he  knows,  but  he  may  not  know  that  what 
is  true  of  the  crops  of  the  farm,  is  equally  true  of  the 
garden.  Hence  the  importance  of  a  knowledge  of  the 
season  when  to  sow  vegetable  seeds  or  set  out  plants. 
A  most  important  case  in  point  occurs  just  as  I  write 
(May  loth,  1886).  A  would-be  farmer  to  whom  we  sold 
fifty  bushels  of  Sweet  Corn  complains  that  not  a  seed  of 
the  corn  which  he  had  planted  has  grown.  He  had 


HOW,  WHEN    AND   WHERE   TO   SOW   SEEDS.          105 

sowed  it  about  May  1st,  in  Northern  Indiana,  and  three 
weeks  too  earl}7  for  that  section ;  what  made  matters 
even  worse,  we  have  had  a  cold,  wet  May  ;  the  average 
temperature  at  night  for  the  fortnight  would  probably 
not  exceed  forty-five  degrees.  Under  such  circumstances 
the  seed  corn  could  no  more  have  germinated  than  if  it 
had  been  thrown  into  the  fire.  That  the  seed  was  good 
was  certain  beyond  question,  as  our  trials  showed  that 
ninety  per  cent.  grew. 

A  decision  was  not  long  ago  rendered  in  one  of  the 
Philadelphia  courts  against  the  claim  for  damages  made 
by  a  market  gardener,  who  brought  suit  against  a  well-- 
known seedsman  of  that  city  for  having  sold  him  seed  of 
Early  York  Cabbage  that  had  "run  to  seed." 

The  ventilation  of  such  a  matter  is  exceedingly  in- 
structive to  those  engaged  in  gardening  operations,  as 
was  shown  by  the  facts  elicited  on  the  trial,  the  gist  of 
which  was,  that  the  prosecutor  had  sown  the  Cabbage 
seed  on  the  5th  of  September  instead  of  the  15th,  and 
that  error,  combined  with  an  unusually  mild  and  grow- 
ing fall,  practically  lengthened  the  season,  so  that  the 
Cabbage  plants  became  "annuals" — running  to  seed 
within  the  year  of  sowing — rather  than  forming  heads 
and  acting  as  "  biennials,"  as  was  expected  of  them. 
Now,  just  here  an  excellent  lesson  conies  in  with  another 
vegetable.  Many  of  our  so-called  scientific  gardeners  are 
English,  Scotch,  Irish,  or  Germans ;  they  come  here, 
most  of  them,  with  a  thorough  contempt  for  our  rougher 
style  of  doing  things  (a  practical  style  born  of  our  neces- 
sities in  the  higher  cost  of  labor)  ;  and  it  is  next  to  im- 
possible to  convince  one  in  a  dozen  of  them  that  there 
is  anything  in  horticultural  matters  here  that  they  need 
to  be  informed  of.  Accordingly,  if  he  wishes  to  raise 
Celery,  he  starts  his  seed  in  a  hot-bed  in  February,  just 
as  he  would  have  done  in  England,  and  is  astonished  to 
find  in  July  that  instead  of  forming  a  thick  and  solid 


106  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

stalk,  as  it  would  have  done  there,  it  spindles  and  runs 
to  seed.  If  his  knowledge  of  the  art  had  been  based  on 
common-sense,  instead  of  the  blind  routine  practice  ac- 
quired in  a  colder  climate,  he  would  have  known  that 
our  season — from  April  1st  to  July  1st — would  sum  up 
nearly  the  same  mean  of  temperature  here  as  it  would 
there,  from  February  1st  to  July  1st ;  and  hence  it  was 
not  only  unnecessary  here,  but  dangerous  to  the  welfare 
of  the  crop,  to  sow  such  biennial  plants  as  Celery  in  any 
other  place  than  in  the  open  ground,  and  that  not  before 
April.  It  was  just  such  an  error  that  the  market  gar- 
dener made  who  sued  the  seedsman  above  alluded  to. 
He  had  been  following,  likely,  the  English  or  German 
method,  and  paid  the  penalty  not  only  of  losing  his  crop, 
but  losing  his  law-suit,  by  not  adapting  his  practice  to 
our  conditions  of  temperature.  As  the  matter  of  sowing 
the  seeds  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce  to  make 
plants  to  winter  over  in  cold-frames,  is  one  in  which 
there  is  a  wide-spread  interest,  I  may  state  that  the  time 
of  soAving  in  fall,  in  a  country  having  such  an  area  and 
difference  of  latitude  as  ours,  is  somewhat  difficult  to  fix 
upon ;  but  taking  the  latitude  of  New  York  as  a  basis, 
the  safest  time  we  have  found  to  sow  is  about  the  15th 
of  September.  Of  late  years  we  have  even  sown  some 
kinds  as  late  as  September  30th,  with  excellent  success, 
in  warm,  well-sheltered  positions,  in  a  rich,  well-pre- 
pared soil. 

Each  kind  of  seed  has  certain  limits  of  temperature, 
below  or  above  which  it  cannot  well  germinate.  Below 
the  minimum  heat  it  remains  dormant ;  above  its  maxi- 
mum limit,  its  vitality  is  destroyed  ;  between  these  two 
points  is  found  the  temperature  most  favorable  to  rapid 
germination.  Practically  it  suffices  to  divide  our  garden 
seeds  into  two  classes  :  natives  of  temperate  and  natives 
of  subtropical  countries. 

The   temperature  best   fitted  for  the  germination  of 


HOW,   WHEN"    AND    WHERE   TO    SOW    SEEDS.  107 

seeds  of  the  leading  kinds,  will  be  best  understood  by 
the  tabular  form  given  belov;  : 

Vegetable  seeds  that  may  be  sown,  ]       Vegetable  seeds  that  may  be  sown 


in  this  latitude,  from  tJte  middle  of 
March  to  the  end  of  April.  Ther- 
mometer in  the  shade  averaging  45 


in  the  open  ground,  in  this  latitude, 
from  tlie  middle  of  May  to  the  mid- 
dle of  June.  Thermometer  in  the 


i  shade  averaging  60  degrees. 
Beet.  Lettuce.  Beans,  Bash.          Melon,  Musk. 


Carrot.  Onions. 

Cress.  Parsnip. 


Beans,  Cranberry.  Melon,  Water. 
Beans,  Lima.  Nasturtium. 


Celery.  Parsley.  Beans,  Pols.  Okra. 


Cabbage.  Peas. 

Cauliflower.  Eadish. 

Endive.  Turnip. 


Beans,  Scarlet    Pumpkin. 

Runner.  Squash. 

Corn,  Sweet.  Tomato. 


Kale.  Spinach.  Cucumber. 

It  will  be  understood  that  these  dates  refer  only  to  the 
latitude  of  New  York  ;  farther  South  operations  should 
be  begun  earlier ;  farther  North,  later.  So  much  for 
the  time  of  sowing.  I  will  now  refer  to  suitable  soil  and 
the  manner  of  sowing. 

THE  CHOICE  OF  SOIL  wherein  seeds  are  sown,  when 
choice  can  be  made,  is  of  importance,  the  best  being  a 
light  soil,  composed  of  leaf  mold,  sand,  and  loam  ;  the 
best  substitute  for  leaf  mold  being  well-decayed  stable 
manure,  or,  better  yet,  decayed  refuse  hops  from  the 
breweries — in  short,  anything  of  this  nature  that  will 
tend  to  lighten  the  soil,  the  point  to  be  avoided  being  a 
weight  of  soil,  either  from  the  nature  or  quantity  of  it. 
The  nature  of  the  soil  is  not  of  so  much  importance  for 
the  germinating  of  large  vigorous  seeds,  as  Peas,  Beets, 
Beans,  Corn,  etc.;  but  with  the  delicate,  slow  sprouting 
sorts,  as  Celery,  Parsnip,  Egg  Plant,  or  Peppers,  it  is  of 
much  importance.  Seeds  of  nearly  every  garden  vege- 
table should  be  sown  in  rows  ;  the  distance  apart  ac- 
cording to  the  variety,  and  the  depth  proportioned  to 
the  size  of  the  seed.  No  better  information  can  be  given 
in  this  matter  than  the  old  rule  of  covering  the  seed  with 


108  GARDEXIXG   FOR   PROFIT. 

about  twice  or  thrice  its  thickness  of  soil,  but  this  should 
always  be  followed  up  by  having  the  soil  pressed  closely 
down.  In  our  market  gardens  here  we  invariably  tread  or 
have  t*he  ground  rolled  ;  or  in  frames  or  hot-beds,  where 
the  roller  cannot  be  used,  we  pat  the  soil  down  evenly  with 
a  spade  after  sowing.  This  may  not  be  of  so  much  con- 
sequence in  early  spring,  when  the  atmosphere  is  moist, 
but  as  the  season  advances,  it  is  of  great  importance. 
Another  advantage  in  rolling  after  seed  sowing  is,  that  it 
leaves  the  surface  smooth  and  level,  thereby  greatly 
lessening  the  labor  of  hoeing.  Instead  of  adopting  the 
questionable  practice  of  soaking  seeds,  preparatory  to 
sowing  in  dry,  hot  weather,  we  prefer  first,  if  very  dry, 
to  thoroughly  saturate  the  bed  with  water,  and  after  it 
has  dried  enough,  so  that  it  can  be  raked  without  clog- 
ging, sow  the  seed.  It  is  much  better  to  do  this  than 
to  water  the  soil  after  the  seed  has  been  sown,  as  it  has 
a  tendency  in  most  soils  to  cause  the  surface  to  bake. 

Although  directions  for  sowing  in  hot-beds  have  been 
already  fully  given  in  the  Chapter  on  "  Formation  and 
Management  of  Hot-beds,"  and  also  under  the  head  of 
"Spring-raising  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce," 
yet  at  the  risk  of  some  repetition  I  again  refer  to  it  here. 

SOWING  IN  HOT-BEDS. — After  the  hot-bed  has  been 
formed — say  the  first  week  in  March — let  soil  of  the  kind 
recommended  be  placed  on  it  six  inches  deep,  into  which 
plunge  a  thermometer  three  or  four  inches,  and  when  the 
temperature  recedes  to  seventy-five  or  eighty  degrees,  you 
may  then  sow,  giving  air  in  mild  weather  as  soon  as  the 
seeds  begin  to  vegetate,  covering  up  warmly  at  night  with 
straw  mats.  But  many  that  may  read  this  never  saw  a 
hot-bed,  and  are  perhaps  never  likely  to  have  one ;  to 
such  I  would  say  that  there  is  an  excellent  substitute  on 
hand  in  most  dwellings,  in  the  kitchen  or  basement  win- 
dows, facing  South  or  East,  inside  of  which  is  a  temper- 
ature usually  not  far  from  that  required  for  the  vegeta- 


HOW,  WHEN   AND    WHERE   TO    SOW   SEEDS.  109 

tion  of  seeds,  and  where  plants  from  seeds  of  the  early 
vegetables,  or  tender  plants  for  the  flower  border,  may 
be  raised  nearly  as  well,  and  with  far  less  attention,  than 
in  a  hot-bed.  Instead  of  hot-beds,  we  use  our  green- 
houses for  the  purpose,  using  shallow  boxes  in  which  we 
sow  the  seed  ;  these  are  made  from  the  common  soap 
box,  cut  into  three  pieces,  the  top  and  bottom  forming 
two,  and  the  middle  piece,  bottomed,  making  the  third  ; 
these  form  cheap,  convenient  boxes.  Fill  these  nearly 
full  with  the  soil  recommended,  and,  after  sowing,  press 
nicely  down  level  and  make  the  surface  soil  moderately 
firm ;  keep  moist  in  a  temperature  in  the  window  of 
from  sixty  to  seventy  degrees,  and  your  little  trouble  will 
soon  be  rewarded. 

In  this  way  seeds'  should  be  sown  thickly,  and  after 
they  have  mado  the  first  rough  leaf,  should  be  again 
planted  out  into  the  same  kind  of  box,  from  one  to  three 
inches  apart,  according  to  the  kind,  and  placed  in  the 
window  to  receive  similar  treatment  as  the  seeds  ;  but  as 
the  season  advances,  in  mild  days  the  boxes  should  be  set 
out  of  doors,  care  being  taken  that  they  are  brought  in 
before  night,  and  that  the  soil  in  the  boxes  is  never 
allowed  to  get  dry. 

I  know  what  is  usually  the  first  thing  the  novice  in 
gardening  does  if  he  gets  any  choice  seed  or  favorite  cut- 
ting ;  ho  has  somehow  got  the  belief  that  there  is  some 
hidden  virtue  in  a  flower  pot,  and  he  accordingly  sows 
his  seed  or  plants  his  cutting  in  a  pot,  but  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten  they  are  destroyed,  or  partially  so,  by  the  con- 
tinued drying  of  the  soil  in  the  porous  flower  pot.  If 
early  in  the  season,  let  delicate  seeds  be  sown  in  the 
kitchen  or  sitting-room  window,  in  the  boxes  as  recom- 
mended, or  if  late,  in  the  open  border  ;  but  seeds  should 
never  be  sown  in  pots,  as  even  in  experienced  hands  they 
are  much  more  troublesome  and  uncertain  than  boxes. 

ROTATION  OF  CHOPS. — Cultivators  of  the  most  limited 


110  GARDE^I^G    FOR    PROFIT. 

experience  soon  discover  that  the  same  kind  of  crop  can- 
not be  grown  on  the  same  ground  for  many  years  in  suc- 
cession without  deterioration.  A  great  many  theories 
have  been  advanced  assigning  causes  for  this,  but  they 
are  as  yet  far  from  satisfactory,  and  as  this  is  not  a  book 
of  theory  but  of  practice,  I  will  not  further  allude  to 
them.  The  following  general  rules  will  be  found  useful 
as  a  guide  : 

1st.  Plants  of  the  same  family  should  not  be  planted 
to  succeed  each  other. 

2d.  Plants  which  occupy  the  ground  for  a  number  of 
years,  such  as  Khubarb  and  Asparagus,  should  be  suc- 
ceeded by  annual  plants. 

3d.  Crops  grown  for  heads,  such  as  Cauliflower,  Cab- 
bage, etc.,  should  be  succeeded  by  crops  grown  for  their 
bulbs  or  roots. 

It  is  hardly  practicable  to  vary  crops  according  to  any 
set  rule,  the  demand  in  different  localities  for  certain 
articles  being  greater  than  in  others.  Generally  variety 
enough  is  demanded  to  allow  of  sufficient  rotation.  Our 
system  of  heavy  manuring,  deep  culture,  and  taking  two 
crops  from  the  ground  each  season,  seems  to  do  away  in 
a  great  measure  with  the  necessity  for  systematic  rota- 
tion, which  would  often  be  found  to  be  very  inconvenient. 
The  crops  of  all  others  that  we  find  most  benefited  by 
change  are  the  Cabbage  tribe,  together  with  the  allied 
Turnip,  Eadish,  etc.,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  we  have 
grown  Onions  successively  on  the  same  ground  for  ten 
years — the  last  crop  just  as  good  as  the  first ;  but,  as  a 
rule  of  safety,  vary  whenever  you  can. 

The  best  of  all  rotation  for  crops  is  to  "  rest "  the  hind 
whenever  practicable  from  its  continued  manuring  and 
cultivating,  by  sowing  down  to  grass  for  one,  two  or  three 
years ;  this  gives  a  renewed  vigor  and  vitality  that 
nothing  else  will  impart.  The  farmers  and  market  gar- 
deners of  Long  Island,  who  grow  truck  to  supply  the 


HOW,  WHEN"    AND    WHERE   TO    SOW   SEEDS.  Ill 

great  market  of  New  York,  are  now  excelling  our  Hud- 
son County,  New  Jersey,  market  gardeners,  whose 
limited  areas  and  high-priced  lands  do  not  permit  them 
to  use  this  system  of  "resting ".their  lands  by  a  rotation 
of  grass  or  clover.  I  have  been  so  much  impressed  with 
the  value  of  this  plan,  that,  as  soon  as  our  cold  frames  have 
been  emptied  of  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  in  May,  the 
ground  is  sown  at  once  with  Clover,  Millet  or  Oats — it 
makes  little  difference  which ;  this  crop  is  cut  off  twice 
or  thrice  and  by  September  it  forms  a  good  sod,  which  is 
turned  down.  It  is  rotted  in  thirty  days  and  the  land  is 
in  the  very  best  possible  friable  condition  for  the  reception 
of  the  cold  frame  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  or  Lettuce  plants, 
which  we  begin  to  plant  about  the  middle  of  October. 
Even  when  only  a  few  weeks  can  be  spared,  we  fincl  it 
pays  to  sow  the  land  with  some  green  crop  to  be  plowed 
in,  rather  than  it  should  remain  bare. 

QUANTITY  or  SEEDS  PER  ACRE. — The  quantities  given 
below  are  somewhat  higher  in  some  kinds  than  the  usual 
estimates,  our  experience  showing  us  that  in  weak  vege- 
tating seeds,  such  as  Parsnips,  Carrots,  etc.,  it  requires 
numbers,  particularly  on  stiff  soils,  to  force  through 
plants  enough  to  form  a  crop.  More  seed  is  required 
when  sown  during  the  dry,  hot  months  of  summer  than 
if  sown  in  the  cooler  and  moist  seasons  of  spring  and 
fall,  hence  quantities  are  regulated  accordingly: 

QUANTITY  OF  SEED  REQUIRED  TO  SOW  AN  ACBE. 

Asparagus 4  to  5  pounds. 

Beans,  Dwarf ...in  drills 2  bushels. 

Beans,  Pole- in  hills -  10  to  12  quarts. 

Beet in  drills 5  to  6  pounds. 

Cabbage in  beds  to  transplant '/a  pound. 

Carrot .-in  drills 3  to  4  pounds. 

Com in  hills 8  to  10  quarts. 

Com  (for  soiling) 3  bushels. 

Cucumber  in  hills  - 2  to  3  pounds. 

Cress,  Water in  drills 2  to  3  pounds. 


112  GARDENING   IOR    PROFIT. 

• 

Cress,  Upland in  drills 2  to  3  pounds. 

Kale,  or  Sprouts 3  to  4  pounds. 

Mustard broadcast Va  bushel. 

Melon  (Musk) in  hills. 2  to  3  pounds. 

Melon  (Water) - -in  hills 4  to  5  pounds. 

Onion in  drills 5  to  6  pounds. 

Onion,  (for  sets) -in  drills 30  pounds. 

Onion,  (sets) in  drills -  -  6  to  12  bushels. 

Parsnip in  drills 4  to  6  pounds. 

Peas -  - in  drills 2  bushels. 

Peas broadcast 3  bush  els. 

Potato,  (cut  tubers) 10  to  12  bushels. 

Pumpkin -in  hills 4  to  6  pounds. 

Radish in  drills  - - 8  to  10  pounds. 

Sage in  drills 8  to  10  pounds. 

Salsify -in  drills -8  to  10  pounds. 

Spinach .'. in  drills. 10  to  12  pounds. 

Squash,  (bush  varieties)  ... in  hills 4  to  6  pounds. 

Squash,  (running  varieties) in  hills . . . .  . .  3  to  4  pounds. 

Tomato to  transplant 1U  pound. 

Turnip in  drills-. --  1  to  2  pounds. 

Turnip - broadcast 3  to  4  pounds. 

Barley .broadcast 2  to  3  bushels. 

Broom  Corn in  hills. 8  to  10  quarts. 

Clover  (Red)  alone ._  15  to  20  pounds. 

Clover  (White)  alone 12  to  15  pounds. 

Clover  (Alsike)  alone 8  to  10  pounds. 

Clover  (Lucern)  alone 20  pounds. 

Grass  (Mixed  Lawn)... 4  to  5  bushels. 

Oats . -broadcast 2  to  3  bushels. 

Eye . broadcast IVa  to  2  bushels. 

Vetches -broadcast 2  to  3  bushels. 

Wheat broadcast l:/2  to  2  bushels. 

Timothy,  alone -  - Va  bushel. 

Orchard  Grass,  mixture --4  to  5  bushels. 

Millet Va  to  1  bushel. 

MIXTURE  FO3  SEEDING-  MOWING  LANDS. 

Clover,       )  together  ( 1Q  pounds  Clover. 

Timothy,   [•      "for       •< - -  Va  bushel  Timothy. 

Red-Top.  \  one  acre  ( 1  bushel  Red-Top. 

When  drills  are  referred  to,  the  seed  should  be  sown  with  a  seed  drill. 


HOW,  WHEX   AND   WHERE  TO   SOW   SEEDS. 


113 


QUANTITY  OF  SEEDS  REQUIRED  FOR  A  GIVEN  NUMBER  OF  PLANTS,  NUM- 
BER OF  HILLS,   OR  LENGTH  OF  DRILL. 


Asparagus,  1  oz 60ft.  of  drill. 

Beet,  1  oz 50  ft.  of  drill. 

Beans,  Dwarf,  1  qt.  100  ft.  of  drill. 

Beans,  Pole,  1  qt 150  hills. 

Carrot,  1  oz 150ft.  of  drill. 

Cucumber,  1  oz . .  _ _ .  .50  hills. 

Corn,  1  qt 200  hills. 

Dandelion,  1  oz 200  ft.  of  drill. 

Endive,  1  oz 150  ft.  of  drill. 

Leek,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Melon,  Water,  1  oz 30  hills. 

Melon,  Musk,  1  oz 60  hills. 

Okra,  loz 40ft.  of  drill. 

Onion,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Onion,  Sets,  1  qt....  40  ft.  of  drill. 

Parsley,  1  oz 150  ft.  of  drill. 

Parsnip,  1  oz 200  ft.  of  drill. 

Peas,  1  qt 100  ft.  of  drill. 


Pumpkin,  1  oz 40  hills. 

Radish,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Salsify,  1  oz. .70  ft.  of  drill. 

Spinach,  1  oz 100  ft.  of  drill. 

Squash,  Early,  1  oz 50  hiils. 

Squash,  Marrow,  1  oz 16  hills. 

Turnip,  1  oz 150  ft.  of  driU. 

Asparagus,  1  oz 500  plants. 

Cabbage,  1  oz 2,000  plants. 

Cauliflower,  1  oz 2,000  plants. 

Celery,  1  oz .3,000  plants. 

Egg  Plant,  1  oz 1,000  plants. 

Lettuce,  1  oz 3,000  plants. 

Pepper,  1  oz 1,000  plants. 

Rhubarb,  1  oz 500  plants. 

Tomato,  1  oz 1,500  plants. 

Thyme,  1  oz 3,000  plants. 

Sage,  1  oz 1,000  plants. 


THE  NUMBER  OF  PLANTS,  T3EES,  ETC.,  REQUIRED   TO  SET  AN  ACRE. 


Distance.  Number. 

1ft.  by  1ft 43,560 

l'/9  ft.  by  !'/»  ft 19,360 

2ft.  by  2  ft ....10,890 

2»/Q  ft.  by  2'/2  ft 6,970 

3ft.  by  1ft 14,520 

3ft.  by  2  ft 7,260 

3ft.  by3ft 4,840 

4ft.  by  4  ft 2,722 

5ft.  by  5  ft:... 1,742 


Distance.  Number. 

Oft.  by  6  ft .1,200 

9ft.  by  9ft.. 537 

12ft.  by  12ft 302 

15ft.  by  15  ft.. 194 

18ft.  by  18ft... 134 

20ft.  by  20  ft. 103 

25ft.  by  25ft 70 

30ft.  by  30ft 40 

40ft.  by  40  ft ..27 


114  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
TRANSPLANTING. 

Transplanting  is  an  operation  of  great  importance  ;  the 
condition  of  the  plant,  the  state  of  the  soil,  and  of  the 
atmosphere,  have  much  to  do  with  its  success,  independ- 
ently of  the  simple  mechanical  operation.  It  is  not  very 
easy  to  instruct  the  uninitiated  as  to  what  the  proper 
condition  of  the  plant  should  be  ;  experience  in  this 
being,  as  in  everything  else,  the  best  teacher.  Attention 
to  keeping  the  seed-bed  clear  of  weeds,  the  "topping" 
of  plants  when  they  get  too  tall,  and  careful  digging  up 
of  them  so  as  to  preserve  the  root  fibres,  will  all  greatly 
assist.  We  cannot  always  get  the  soil  in  the  proper  con- 
dition of  moisture  to  receive  plants  at  the  time  trans- 
planting should  be  performed,  but  to  make  up  for  the 
want  of  moisture,  planting  should  be  delayed  always 
until  late  in  the  afternoon,  unless  in  cloudy  weather.  It 
is  also  of  great  importance  that  the  ground  be  freshly 
plowed ;  the  moist  soil  thus  brought  to  the  surface  will 
induce  the  formation  of  root  fibres  in  one  night  in  warm 
weather,  after  which  the  plants  are  comparatively  safe ; 
but  if  they  be  allowed  to  wilt  before  the  new  roots  begin 
to  be  emitted,  and  continued  dry  weather  ensues,  then 
nothing  will  save  them  but  having  recourse  to  watering, 
which,  however,  should  only  be  done  in  case  of  dire 
necessity.  In  planting,  such  plants  as  Cabbage,  Lettuce 
and  Celery,  each  man  is  provided  with  a  boy,  who  car- 
ries the  plants  in  a  basket,  and  whose  duty  is  to  drop 
the  plant  on  the  line  at  the  proper  distance  before 
the  planter.  In  planting,  a  hole  is  made  by  the  dibber 
about  the  depth  of  the  root ;  the  plant  being  inserted, 
the  soil  is  then  pressed  close  to  the  root ;  the  hole  thus 
made  by  the  displacement  of  the  soil  is  again  filled  up  by 
one  stroke  of  the  dibber.  In  dry  weather  we  still  further 


TRANSPLANTING.  1  ]  5 

firm  the  plant  by  each  planter  returning  on  his  row  and 
treading  the  soil  around  plants  firmly  with  the  feet.  I 
am  thus  particular  in  describing  a  simple  matter,  know- 
ing well  that  millions  of  plants  are  annually  lost  by 
inattention  to  this  firming  of  the  soil.  The  same  rule  is 
applicable  to  transplanting  of  all  kinds,  trees,  shrubs,  or 
vegetables.  Instead  of  "puddling"  the  roots  in  mud, 
we  prefer  to  keep  the  plants  dripping  wet  during  the 
whole  time  of  planting,  so  that  each  plant,  as  it  is  put  in 
the  soil,  puddles  itself  by  the  particles  of  soil  adhering 
to  the  wet  root.  Besides,  the  leaves  of  the  plant,  being- 
wet,  will  for  some  time  resist  the  action  of  the  dry  air. 

PLANTING  OF  VEGETABLE  PLANTS. — A  year  or  two 
ago,  about  the  middle  of  .April,  the  snow,  after  its  long 
acquaintance  with  us  during  the  past  winter,  intruded 
itself  again  in  the  spring  and  covered  our  newly-planted 
gardens  to  the  depth  of  several  inches.  Veteran  tillers 
of  the  soil  could  smile  at  this  assault,  knowing  it  to  be 
harmless.  But  correspondents,  still  young  in  the  busi- 
ness, wrote  to  me  fearing  their  planted  crops  were  ruined. 

A  snow,  after  planting  in  spring,  I  have  never  known 
to  injure  plants  of  any  kind,  unless,  indeed,  it  was  heavy 
enough  to  break. them.  The  fear  of  snow,  and  of  the 
slight  late  frosts,  often  prevents  the  setting  of  such  plants 
as  Cabbage,  Lettuce,  and  even  Asparagus,  among  vegeta- 
bles, and  of  Strawberries  and  other  small  fruits,  until  the 
season  is  so  far  advanced  that  hot  weather  comes  on, 
starting  the  tops  before  the  foots  have  had  time  to  get  a 
foothold.  There  is  rarely  danger  (when  the  ground  is 
sufficiently  dry  to  work,  and  it  never  should  be  worked 
until  it  is  so),  that  such  hardy  or  half-hardy  plants  as  we 
plant  in  spring  will  be  injured  by  any  frost  that  may 
come  after  they  are  put  out.  This  opening  up  for  spring 
work  usually  begins  here  by  the  end  of  March,  and  I 
have  never  yet  seen  plants  injured  by  frost  after  that 
time. 


116  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

To  give  an  idea  what  amount  of  colel  Cabbage  and 
Lettuce  plants  will  stand  without  injury,  I  will  relate  an 
experience  I  had  in  my  early  days  of  market  gardening. 
A  particularly  mild  spell  in  the  latter  part  of  February 
had  led  us  to  believe  that  spring  had  come.  Out  went 
the  teams,  and  the  ground  was  manured,  plowed,  and 
planted  with  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  to  the  extent  of  two 
acres,  which  was  all  finished  up  by  the  26th  of  February. 
It  was  my  second  year  in  the  business.  I  was  yet  an  in- 
experienced hand,  and  my  neighbors  predicted  that  my 
venture  was  a  foolhardy  one,  and  would  result  in  total 
loss,  no  one  having  ever  before  planted  such  crops  in  this 
section  at  such  an  early  season.  But  fortune  favored  me  ; 
the  weather  continued  mild  long  enough  to  allow  the 
plants  to  "strike  root,"  and  though  the  thermometer 
afterward  marked  as  low  as  fifteen  degrees  above  zero, 
and  the  ground  was  frozen  for  full  ten  days,  so  that  it  could 
not  be  again  dug  or  plowed,  yet  the  wild  venture  proved 
a  success,  and  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  having  the  first 
Cabbages  from  that  February  planting  that  were  sold  in 
market.  I  never  after  had  an  opportunity  of  planting  so 
early,  and  would  not  do  so  if  I  had,  for  it  was  simply 
favorable  conditions  that  saved  the  crop.  If  the  cold 
snap  had  set  in  immediately  after  planting,  there  is  but 
little  doubt  the  plants  would  have  suffered  injury.  But 
the  experience  was  valuable  in  showing  what  severity  of 
frost  such  plants  would  stand  without  injury.  Much 
depends  on  the  condition  Of  the  plants ;  if  taken  from 
the  hot-bed  or  frame  without  being  previously  exposed, 
they  might  be  in  condition  to  be  as  easily  injured  as  a 
Tomato  plant. 

The  past  season  I  had  the  sashes  taken  off  my  entire 
crop  of  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  on  March  1st  (they 
being  hardened  beforehand  by  ventilating),  and  never 
covered  them  again.  They  were  twice  covered  up  with 
snow,  and  the  mercury  several  times  marked  only  twenty 


VEGETABLES — VARIETIES   AND    CULTIVATION.        117 

degrees  above  zero.     Yet  we  hardly  ever  before  had  finer 
plants. 

The  sashes  so  taken  off — nearly  1,000  in  number — were 
used  for  our  flower  business,  but,  had  we  desired  it,  they 
might  have  been  used  on  temporary  frames,  and  grown  a 
crop  of  Lettuce  which  in  five  weeks  from  date  of  plant- 
ing, March  1st,  would  have  easily  given  $2  per  sash.  I 
mention  these  facts  to  give  confidence  to  the  hundreds 
now  engaged  in  market  gardening,  who,,  from  dread  of 
exposing  their  plants  in  spring,  not  only  do  them  an  in- 
jury, but  lose  the  profit  of  a  second  use  of  their  sashes. 
A  third  use  of  sashes  may  be  had  in  growing  Tomato, 
Swe&t  Potato,  or  Egg  plants,  after  the  crop  of  Lettuce  is 
sold,  or  forwarding  an  early  crop  of  Cucumbers  or  Melons. 
(See  '•  Forcing  Cucumbers.") 


CHAPTER      XV. 
VEGETABLES,  THEIR  VARIETIES  AND  CULTIVATION. 

In  describing  the  modes  of  cultivating  the  different 
varieties  of  vegetables,  I  shall  notice  at  length  only  those 
of  the  most  importance,  and  the  most  profitable  for  mar- 
ket purposes,  while  for  those  of  less  value  as  market 
crops,  tjae  directions  for  culture  will  be  such  as  are 
adapted  to  private  gardens  only. 

A  limited  number  of  kinds  will  be  described,  and  such 
only  as  our  experience  has  shown  to  possess  the  greatest 
earliness  and  productiveness.  Nothing  is  more  perplex- 
ing to  the  beginner  than  to  be  bewildered  by  descriptions 
of  perhaps  twenty  so-called  varieties  of  a  vegetable  that 
in  reality  does  not  embrace  four  distinct  kinds.  For 
example,  in  early  Cabbages,  there  are  some  hundred 
or  more  varieties  described;  yet  we  find,  after  having 


118  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

experimented  with  some  scores  of  kinds  in  onr  time, 
there  are  two  varieties  more  profitable  to  grow  than  any 
others — viz.,  the  Jersey  Wakefield  and  Early  Summer, 
which  are  grown  in  this  locality  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
others.  However,  some  kinds  are  found  to  do  better  in 
some  localities  than  in  others — hence,  as  in  fruits,  no 
particular  variety  should  be  claimed  to  be  universally  the 
best. 

ASPARAGUS.—  (Asparagus  officinalis.) 

Asparagus  being  a  hardy  perennial  plant,  that  may  be 
grown  on  the  same  ground  for  twenty  years  without  re- 
newal, special  care  is  required  in  forming  the  beds  in 
which  it  is  to  grow.  This  is  done  sometimes  by  trench- 
ing to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  feet,  mixing  each  layer 
of  soil,  as  turned  over,  with  two  or  three  inches  of  well- 
rotted  manure  ;  but  for  market  purposes,  on  a  large  scale, 
trenching  is  seldom  resorted  to  ;  deep  and  thorough  pul- 
verizing by  the  plow  and  subsoiler  serving  instead.  The 
soil  best  suited  for  Asparagus  is  a  deep  and  rather  sandy 
loam,  such  as  is  often  to  be  found  on  the  borders  of  mead- 
ows or  on  the  margins  of  lakes  or  rivers — land  formed  by 
the  washings  of  the  higher  grounds,  and  known  as  allu- 
vial. This  land,  when  clear  from  under  water  or  from 
overflow  is  by  far  the  best  suited  for  the  growth  of  all 
kinds  of  vegetables  and  is,  from  the  nature  of  the  plants, 
particularly  adapted  for  Asparagus  or  Celery. 

PROPAGATION. — Asparagus  is  propagated  by  seed,  which 
is  sown  in  spring,  as  soon  as  the  soil  will  admit  of  work- 
ing, which  should  be  prepared  by  being  thoroughly  pul- 
verized and  enriched  with  well-rotted  manure.  The  seed 
is  sown  in  rows  one  foot  apart,  and  if  kept  carefully  hoed 
and  clear  from  weeds,  the  plants  will  be  in  fine  condition 
to  plant  out  the  succeeding  spring.  Strict  attention  to 
this  will  save  a  year  in  time  ;  for  if  the  seed-bed  has  been 
neglected,  it  will  take  two  years  to  get  the  plants  as  large 


VEGETABLES — ASPARAGUS.  119 

as  they  would  be  in  one  year,  if  they  had  been  properly 
cared  for.  In  consequence  of  this  very  common  neglect 
of  proper  cultivation  of  the  seed-bed,  it  is  an  almost  uni- 
versal impression  that  the  plants  must  be  two  or  three 
years  old  before  planting.  This  is  undoubtedly  an  error, 
for  almost  all  large  growers  for  market  purposes,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  New  York,  invariably  plant  one-year- 
old  plants,  and  count  on  marketing  a  crop  the  third 
spring  from  the  time  of  sowing.  One  pound  of  seed  will 
produce  about  3,000  plants  ;  and  to  plant  an  acre  of  As- 
paragus requires  from  15,000  to  20,000  plants  when 
planted  close. 

PLANTING. — The  bed  being  prepared  as  previously 
described,  planting  may  be  done  any  time  for  six  or  eight 
weeks  from  the  opening  of  spring.  The  plant,  from  its 
peculiar  succulent  roots,  is  less  susceptible  of  injury 
from  late  planting  than  most  other  vegetables,  although 
at  the  same  time  delay  should  not  occur,  unless  unavoid- 
able, as  the  sooner  it  is  planted  after  the  ground  is  in 
working  order,  the  better  will  be  the  result.  When  there 
is  plenty  of  ground  and  the  crop  is  to  be  extensively 
grown,  perhaps  the  best  mode  of  planting  is  in  rows 
three  feet  apart,  the  plants  nine  inches  apart  in  the  rows. 
For  private  use,  or  for  marketing  on  a  small  scale,  beds 
should  be  formed  five  feet  wide,  with  three  rows  planted 
in  each  ;  one  in  the  middle  and  one  oh  each  side,  a  foot 
from  the  edge  ;  the  distance  of  the  plants  in  the  rows, 
nine  inches ;  the  alleys  between  the  beds  should  be  two 
feet  wide.  In  planting,  a  line  is  set  and  a  cut  made  a 
little  slanting  to  the  depth  of  six  or  eight  inches,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of  the  plants.  The  plants  are  then  laid 
against  the  side  of  the  trench,  at  the  distance  already 
named  (nine  inches),  care  being  taken  to  properly  spread 
the  roots.  The  crown  or  top  of  the  plant  should  be  cov- 
ered about  three  inches.  In  a  week  or  so  after  planting, 
the  beds  should  be  touched  over  lightly  with  a  sharp  steel 


120  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

rake,  which  will  destroy  the  germinating  weeds.  The 
raking  had  better  be  continued  at  intervals  of  a  week  or 
so,  until  the  plants  start  to  grow,  when  the  hoe  or  hand- 
cultivator  may  be  applied  between  the  rows  and  alleys  ; 
the  weeds  that  come  up  close  to  the  plant  must  of  neces- 
sity be  pulled  out  by  the  hand. 

In  the  first  edi  tion  of  this  work  I  gave  it  as  my  belief 
that  we  had  only  one  .variety  of  Asparagus,  and  that  all 
the  so-called  "  Giant "  and  "Mammoth"  varieties  were 
merely  the  results  of  superior  soil  or  cultivation,  which 
on  being  propagated  by  seeds  or  otherwise,  and  placed  in 
ordinary  conditions  of  culture,  would  fall  back  to  their 
original  or  normal  condition  ;  in  short,  that  the  species 
had  never  "broke,"  as  we  technically  term  it. 

This  belief  necessarily  made  me  skeptical  to  the  claims 
of  the  "  Colossal "  when  that  variety  was  first  introduced, 
and  I  invariably  replied  to  all  inquirers  that  past  ex- 
perience in  this  matter  led  me  to  believe  that  it  was  no 
different  from  the  ordinary  sort. 

I  was  finally  invited  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  farm- of  Abra- 
ham Van  Siclen,  of  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  and  there  to 
inspect  an  acre  of  the  Oyster  Bay  Asparagus  (the  ordinary 
kind),  and  an  acre  of  his  "  Colossal,"  which  Mr.  Van  Siclen 
had  planted  in  the  spring  of  1868,  each  then  one  year  old 
from  seed.  A  thorough  inspection  of  the  roots  of  each  lot 
proved  that  they  were  of  the  same  age  when  planted. 
The  soil  was  next  examined,  and  found  to  be  as  near  the 
same  as  it  could  well  be,  yet  these  two  beds  of  Asparagus 
showed  a  difference  that  left  me  no  longer  a  shadow  of  a 
doubt  of  their  being  entirely  distinct  varieties.  In  the 
old  variety  we  found  no  shoot  thicker  than  one  inch  in 
diameter  and  averaging  twenty  shoots  to  a  hill,  while  in 
the  "Colossal"  many  shoots  were  found  an  inch  and  a 
half  in  diameter,  and  averaging  thirty-five  shoots  to  a 
hill — an  enormous  growth,  when  it  is  remembered  the 
plant  was  only  three  years  from  the  seed. 


VEGETABLES — ASPARAGUS.  121 

Mr.  Van  Siclen  is  well  known  as  one  of  our  best  Long 
Island  market  gardeners,  who  has  made  the  growing  of 
Asparagus  a  specialty  for  twenty  years,  and  who  has  prob- 
ably in  that  time  sold  more  Asparagus  in  the  markets 
of  New  York  than  any  other  man.  He  was  exceedingly 
enthusiastic  in  praise  of  this  variety,  believing  that  at  a 
low  estimate  it  would  yield  a  profit  of  at  least  one-third 
greater  than  the  ordinary  sort,  under  the  same  condi- 
tions, besides  coming  to  maturity  two  years  sooner. 

Mr.  Van  Siclen's  method  of  groAving  Asparagus  is  sim- 
ple, and  in  some  respects  new  to  me.  To  begin,  he  sows 
his  seeds  in  his  rich  sandy  loam  in  April,  in  rows  one 
foot  apart  and  two  inches  in  depth,  dropping  the  seeds 
so  that  they  may  be  distributed  evenly  about  half  an 
inch  apart ;  the  plants  are  cultivated  by  hoeing  between 
the  rows  and  keeping  them  clear  of  weeds  by  hand  pick- 
ing. In  the  spring  following  he  sets  his  plants,  now  one 
year  old,  which  are  in  his  experience  preferable  to  those 
two  years  old.  His  mode  of  planting  is  somewhat  differ- 
ent from  the  usual  practice,  but  for  having  a  lasting 
Asparagus  bed — one  that  will  be  as  good  at  the  end  of 
twenty  years  as  it  is  at  eight — it  is  probably  the  best. 

It  differs  in  setting  the  roots  much  wider  apart  than 
usual ;  his  stand,  six  feet  between  the  rows  and  four  feet 
between  the  plants,  making  less  than  two  thousand 
plants  to  an  acre.  In  preparing  the  land  to  receive  the 
plants,  he  merely  plows  to  the  deptn  of  a  foot  or  so  with 
the  ordinary  plow  ;  his  soft,  sandy  subsoil  rendering  the 
use  of  the  subsoil  plow  unnecessary,  but  in  soils  less 
favored  the  use  of  the  subsoil  plow  would  be  of  decided 
advantage.  In  preparing  to  plant  he  turns  out  a  furrow 
with  a  double  mold-board  plow,  so  that  at  its  deepest 
part  it  is  nearly  twelve  inches  deep  ;  a  good  shovelful  of 
thoroughly  rotted  manure  is  then  placed  in  the  furrow, 
at  distances  of  four  feet,  so  spread  that  it  will  make  a 
layer  of  three  inches  or  so  ;  an  inch  or  two  of  soil  is  then 


V¥Z  GARDENING    FOE   PROFIT. 

thrown  on  the  top  of  the  manure,  and  the  Asparagus 
planted  as  shown  in  the  engraving,  figure  14,  and  with 
its  crown  six  or  seven  inches  below  the  surface  level. 
The  plant  is  now  only  lightly  covered  up  with  the 
soil,  say  two  or  three  inches,  until  it  starts  to  grow,  when 
the  furrows  are  thrown  in  by  the  plow  so  that  the  whole 
surface  is  leveled,  which  places  the  crown  of  the  Aspa- 
ragus some  six  or  seven  inches  under  the  surface.  This 
would  be,  perhaps,  four  inches  too  deep  in  heavy  soils, 
but  in  light,  soft  soils  it  answers  well.  The  first  and 
second  seasons  after  planting  no  Asparagus  is  cut  for 


.  14.  —  MANNER  OF  PLANTING  ASPARAGUS. 


market,  as  it  weakens  the  roots,  but  in  the  third  year  a 
partial  crop  is  taken,  although  the  beds  are  not  considered 
to  be  at  their  best  until  the  sixth  or  seventh  year.  Their 
productiveness  may  be  continued  for  twenty  years  by  this 
wide  system  of  planting,  recourse  being  had  to  manuring 
freely  annually,  by  digging  or  plowing  it  in  around  the 
roots  before  the  crop  has  started  to  grow,  or  after  it  is 
cut. 

GROWING  ASPARAGUS  FROM  SEED,  without  trans- 
planting, is  a  method  now  finding  many  advocates.  It 
is  not  only  a  much  cheaper  method,  but  in  my  opin- 
ion it  is  the  best  method  if  the  operator  can  have  patience 
to  wait  a  year  longer  for  a  crop.  The  plan  is  very  sim- 
ple, and  can  be  done  by  any  one  having  even  a  slight 
knowledge  of  farming  or  gardening  work.  Prepare  the 
land  by  manuring,  deep  plowing  and  harrowing,  mak- 
ing it  as  level  and  smooth  as  possible  for  the  reception  of 
the  seed.  Strike  out  lines  three  feet  apart  and  about 


VEGETABLES — ASPARAGUS.  123 

two  to  three  inches  deep,  in  which  sow  the  seed  by  hand 
or  seed  drill,  as  is  most  convenient,  using  from  five  to 
seven  pounds  of  seed  (which  costs  fifty  cents  per  pound), 
to  each  acre.  After  sowing  the  seed  and  before  covering 
tread  down  the  seed  in  the  rows  evenly  with  the  feet 
(see  " Use  of  the  Feet  in  Sowing  and  Planting")  ;  then 
draw  the  back  of  a  rake  lengthwise  over  the  rows,  after 
which  roll  the  whole  surface.  As  soon  as  the  land  is  dry 
and  fit  to  work  in  Spring,  the  young  plants  of  Aspara- 
gus will  start  through  the  ground  sufficiently  to  define  the 
rows  in  two  or  three  weeks.  At  once  begin  to  cultivate 
with  hand  or  horse  cultivator,  and  stir  the  ground  so  as 
to  destroy  the  embryo  weeds,  breaking  the  soil  in  the 
rows  between  the  plants  with  the  fingers  or  hand  weeder 
for  the  same  purpose.  This  must  be  repeated  at  inter- 
vals of  two  or  three  weeks  during  the  summer,  as  the 
success  of  this  method  is  entirely  dependent  on  keeping 
down  the  weeds,  which,  if  allowed  to  grow,  would  soon 
smother  the  Asparagus  plants,  which  for  the  first  season 
of  their  growth  are  weaker  than  most  weeds.  In  two  or 
three  months  after  sowing,  the  Asparagus  will  have  at- 
tained ten  or  twelve  inches  in  height.  It  must  now  be 
thinned  out  so  that  the  plants  stand  nine  inches  apart 
in  the  rows.  By  fall  they  will  be  from  two  to  three  feet 
high,  strong  and  vigorous,  if  the  directions  for  culture 
have  been  faithfully  followed.  When  the  foliage  dies 
(but  not  before),  cut  the  stems  down  to  the  ground  and 
cover  the  lines  for  five  or  six  inches  on  each  side  with 
two  or  three  inches  in  depth  of  rough  manure.  As  the 
spring  again  returns,  renew  the  same  process  of  cultiva- 
tion to  keep  down  weeds  the  second  year  exactly  as  was 
done  for  the  first,  and  so  on  to  the  spring  of  the  fourth 
year,  when  a  crop  may  be  cut  that  will  well  reward  all 
the  labor  that  has  been  expended.  Sometimes,  if  the 
land  is  particularly  suitable,  a  crop  may  be  had  well 
worth  marketing  the  third  year,  but  as  a  rule,  it  will  be 


134  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

better  to  wait  until  the  fourth  year  without  cutting 
much,  as  it  would  tend  to  weaken  the  plants.  To  com- 
pensate for  the  loss  of  a  year  in  time  in  thus  growing 
Asparagus  from  seed,  such  crops  as  Cabbage,  Lettuce, 
Onions,  Beets,  or  Spinach — all  of  which  will  be  market- 
able before  the  Asparagus  will  have  grown  high  enough 
to  interfere  with  them — can  be  sown  or  planted  between 
the  rows  of  Asparagus  the  first  year  of  its  growth  with 
but  little  injury  to  it ;  and  as  the  ground  for  the  Aspar- 
agus has  been  heavily  manured  and  well  prepared,  such 
crops  will,  in  a  measure,  make  up  for  the  year's  loss  in 
time,  provided  there  is  a  market  near  enough  for  their 
sale.  I  had  an  old  friend  near  Macon,  Ga.,  who  grew 
an  acre  of  Asparagus  after  this  plan.  His  crop  was  sold 
in  the  New  York  market  and  brought  him  an  average  of 
$1,000  a  year  for  six  years  after  it  came  into  bearing,  to 
my  certain  knowledge,  my  salesman  having  sold  it  for 
him.  He  died  some  ten  years  ago,  and  I  presume  the 
bed  was  neglected,  or  it  might  still  be  in  full  bearing. 
There  is  no  crop  so  certain  of  sale  and  so  easily  shipped 
as  Asparagus,  from  the  fact  that  it  has  perhaps  greater 
value  for  its  weight  than  any  other  vegetable,  besides,  it 
is  ready  at  a  season  when  the  temperature  is  low,  so  that 
whether  shipped  from  the  extreme  Southern  States  to 
our  large  cities  in  the  Middle  States,  or  reshipped  to 
still  further  North,  there  is  never  danger  from  injury  in 
transit.  The  reason  of  its  being  profitable  is  obvious. 
The  cultivator  has  to  wait  three  or  four  years  for  a  crop. 
The  majority  of  gardeners  either  cannot  or  will  not  wait, 
and  hence  it  becomes  profitable  to  the  few  who  cultivate 
it.  The  variety  usually  grown  is  the  Colossal,  but  Mr. 
John  Nix,  a  well-known  commission  dealer  of  New  York 
City,  and  who  is  also  one  of  the  largest  truckers  in  South 
Carolina,  claims  that  the  new  variety  of  Asparagus, 
"  The  Palmetto,"  is  one  which  excels  all  other  varieties 
grown  at  the  South,  in  earliness,  yield,  quality  and  even- 


VEGETABLES— ASPARAGUS.  125 

ness  of  growth.  Ifc  has  not  yet  been  extensively  tried 
at  the  North,  but  we  have  every  reason  to  think  that  it 
will  do  equally  well  here. 

THE  APPLICATION  OF  SALT  to  Asparagus  as  a  top- 
dressing  is  claimed  to  be  of  benefit  in  inland  districts 
out  of  the  range  of  a  saline  atmosphere,  but  is  of  little 
or  no  benefit  in  the  vicinity  of  salt  water.  When  used 
it  should  be  applied  in  spring  only,  at  the  rate  of  half  a 
pound  per  square  yard,  strewed  on  the  surface  ;  the  rains 
will  dissolve  it  and  wash  it  down  to  the  roots.  Besides 
its  beneficial  effects  upon  the  plant,  it  is  to  some  extent 
destructive  to  the  wire  worm  and  other  insects  that  are 
often  troublesome  to  the  Asparagus. 

We  have  found  Asparagus  beds  very  profitably  bene- 
fited by  the  application  of  superphosphate  of  lime  or  pure 
bone  dust  as  a  spring  top-dressing,  applied  at  the  rate  of 
500  pounds  per  acre,  sown  on  the  beds  and  hoed  in. 
Experiments  with  this  on  alternate  rows  showed  a  dif- 
ference of  nearly  one  foot  in  height  of  the  stalk  in  favor 
of  the  rows  to  which  the  superphosphate  had  been  ap- 
plied over  those  which  had  none  ;  and  a  difference  of 
nearly  double  the  product  when  the  crop  was  cut  in  the 
succeeding  spring. 

The  fall  treatment  of  the  Asparagus  beds  varies  with 
the  locality ;  in  cold  regions,  where,  if  left  unprotected, 
the  frost  would  penetrate  below  the  .roots,  a  covering  of 
three  or  four  inches  of  rough  manure  or  leaves  is  neces- 
sary. Although  an  entirely  hardy  plant,  it  will  start 
earlier  and  with  greater  vigor  in  spring  if  the  root  has 
not  been  subjected  to  severe  freezing.  In  milder  sections 
no  such  precaution  is  necessary ;  all  that  need  be  done  is 
to  clear  off  the  stems  as  soon  as  they  are  withered  in  the 
fall,  and  clean  the  beds  preparatory  to  giving  a  dressing 
of  two  or  three  inches  of  manure,  which  had  better  not 
be  applied  until  spring.  We  believe  the  common  practice 
oi  top-dressing  Asparagus  beds  in  fall  to  be  a  very  waste- 


126  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

ful  one,  in  districts  where  it  is  not  necessary  to  provide 
against  severe  freezing,  for,  as  the  plant  is  then  dormant, 
the  juices  of  the  manure  are  either  evaporated  or  else 
washed  down  by  rains  below  the  roots  of  the  plant.  I 
remember  having  three  small  Asparagus  beds  under  my 
charge  many  years  ago,  on  one  of  which  I  applied  in  De- 
cember twenty-five  pounds  of  Peruvian  guano,  dissolved 
in  fifty  gallons  of  water  ;  in  April  the  same  application 
was  made  to  another  bed,  and  the  other  was  left  without 
anything.  There  was  no  perceptible  difference  between 
that  to  which  the  liquid  had  been  applied  in  December 
and  that  to  which  none  had  been  given,  but  on  that 
which  received  it  in  April  nearly  double  the  weight  of 
crop  was  produced.  Since  then,  all  our  practice,  cor- 
roborated by  direct  experiment,  IIRS  convinced  me  beyond 
all  doubt,  that  manures,  either  liquid  or  solid,  are  un- 
profitably  employed  when  applied  to  plants  in  the  dor- 
mant state. 

In  gathering  the  crop  caution  must  be  used  not  to  in- 
jure the  plants  by  continued  or  excessive  cutting ;  for  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  to  reproduce  annually  its 
crop  of  shoots  in  spring,  something  must  be  left  to  grow 
to  encourage  the  formation  of  fresh  roots.  In  our  market 
gardens  the  practice  is  to  cut  off  all  the  shoots  as  they 
are  ready,  until  the  middle  of  May  or  1st  of  June,  when 
the  shoots  begin  to  show  signs  of  weakness  ;  then  all  is 
left  to  grow  and  no  more  cut.  In  its  preparation  for 
market  the  shoots  are  tied  up  in  round  bunches.  The 
size  of  the  bunch  is  governed  somewhat  by  the  abundance 
of  the  crop,  and  is  about  four  to  five  inches  in  diameter 
and  from  seven  to  nine  inches  in  length,  in  weight  from 
two  to  three  pounds,  firmly  tied  at  the  butts  and  tops. 
The  tying  material  is  the  matting  known  as  Raffia,  as 
that  is  soft,  pliable,  and  has  the  necessary  strength.  The 
proper  bunching  of  Asparagus  used  to  be  quite  an  art, 
but  the  "Asparagus  Buncher"  (see  implements)  has  ren- 


VEGETABLES— ASPARAGUS.  127 

dered  the  operation  so  simple  that  any  one  can  do  it 
rapidly  with  a  few  minutes  practice. 

This  crop  is  subject  to  so  many  conditions  that  an 
average  value  can  hardly  be  given  ;  some  of  our  growers 
here  yet  claim  that  it  pays  an  annual  clear  profit  of  $500 
per  acre,  while  others  say  that  it  does  not  pay  them  over 
$200  per  acre.  During  a  period  of  ten  years,  counting 
from  the  time  the  bed  was  planted,  it  is  safe  to  say  that, 
in  this  vicinity,  the  average  profits  per  acre  will  be  $250. 
It  is  a  crop  that  never  fails  to  sell,  is  always  productive 
if  properly  treated,  and  having  a  great  value  for  its  weight 
— a  ton  often  being  worth  from  $200  to  $400 — it  is,  in 
all  respects,  a  valuable  crop  for  the  market  gardener.  In 
packing  Asparagus  for  shipping  it  is  best  packed  in  boxes 
of  a  depth  equal  to  the  length  of  the  bunch  or  perhaps 
an  inch  deeper,  because  in  packing,  Asparagus  is  placed 
on  end,  and  some  soft  material,  as  moss,  cotton,  or  soft 
paper  should  be  placed  on  the  top,  so  that  should  the 
box  be  turned  upside  down,  the  soft  tops  will  not  be 
bruised.  The  interstices  between  the  bunches  should 
also  be  filled  in,  so  that  the  whole  may  be  firm  enough  to 
not  be  injured  by  jarring.  This  is  true  of  packing  all 
vegetables  for  shipment;  unless  the  box  is  packed  full  and 
firm,  jarring  in  the  handling  is  sure  to  injure  them. 

In  some  localities,  especially  on  Long  Island,  New 
York,  the  Asparagus  Beetle  (Crioceris  asparagi)  has  in- 
jured the  crop  to  such  an  extent  as  to  cause  whole  plan- 
tations to  be  plowed  under.  When  the  beetle  first  ap- 
pears it  may  be  controlled  by  picking  it  off  and  destroying 
it ;  but  if  allowed  to  become  established  the  task  is  hope- 
less. The  engraving  (figure  15)  shows  the  insect  in  its 
different  stages.  The  lower  figure  is  a  part  of  a  branch, 
with  the  small  black  eggs  attached  by  their  ends  ;  these 
are  given  of  the  natural  size,  and  magnified.  The  larva, 
or  caterpillar,  as  well  as  the  perfect  beetle,  is  shown  at 
the  top  of  the  engraving  ;  the  natural  size  of  these  is  in- 


128 


GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT. 


dicat.d  by  the  lines  drawn  at  the  side.     Whenever  the 

eggs  or  the  larvae  appear,  cut  and  burn  the  plants  as  long 
as  any  traces  of  the  kisect  are  to  be 
seen ;  this  must  be  done  if  it  de- 
stroys every  vestige  of  vegetation.  A 
remedy  much  in  use  in  some  sec- 
tions is  to  coop  up  hens  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Asparagus  beds,  and  let  the 
chickens  out  to  pick  up  the  larvae  and 
insects.  A  certain  remedy  against 
the  Asparagus  beetle,  it  is  claimed, 
can  be  made  by  mixing  one  pound  of 
Paris  green  in  100  gallons  of  water, 
sprinkling  over  the  plants  twice  each 
week  on  the  first  appearance  of  the 
insect.  The  varieties  of  Asparagus 
now  are  confined  to  the  "  Colossal " 
and  the  "New  Palmetto,"  already 

described.     The  "Giant,"  formerly  so  much  grown,  is 

now  nearly  out  of  cultivation. 


Fig.  15.— ASPARAGUS 
BEETLE. 


ARTICHOKE.— (Cynara  Scolymus.) 

Although  a  vegetable  as  yet  rarely  seen  in  our  markets, 
it  is  extensively  used  in  Europe,  particularly  in  France. 
The  portion  of  the  plant  most  used  is  the  undeveloped 
flower-head,  or  rather  those  portions  of  the  flower-head 
called  the  scales  of  the  involucre.  They  are  sometimes 
boiled  and  used  as  a  salad,  with  vinegar,  oil,  and  salt ; 
but  more  generally  in  the  raw  stat3. 

Another  use  of  the  Artichoke  is  to  blanch  it,  by  tying 
the  young  side  shoots  moderately  close  together,  as  we 
tie  Endive,  filling  in  between  with  soil  to  exclude  the  air 
until  the  shoots  are  blanched  ;  this  is  what  is  known  as 
" Artichoke  Salad,"  or  "Artichoke  Chard;"  it  is  used 


VEGETABLES — ARTICHOKE. 


in  this  state  in  various  forms  of  cookery,  besides  being 
used  as  a  salad. 

It  is  a  vegetable  of  easy  culture,  originally  propagated 
from  seeds  until  a  stock  is  secured,  after  which  it  is 
readily  increased  by  suckers  from  the  root.  These  are 
planted  out  in  April  or  May,  in  rows  from  three  to  four 
feet  apart,  and  two  feet 
between  the  plants,  care 
being  taken  that  the 
plants  are  well  firmed 
in  planting,  and  if  the 
weather  is  dry,  they 
must  be  freely  watered 
until  they  start  to  grow. 
The  plantation,  the  first 
season,  will  only  give  a 
partial  crop ;  but,  as  it 
is  a  perennial  plant, 
after  being  once  planted 
the  same  bed  will  re- 
main in  bearing  for 
years.  The  plant  may 
be  said  to  be  entirely 
hardy  south  of  Mason 
and  Dixon's  Line,  but 
north  of  that  it  requires 
to  be  protected  by  cov- 
ering between  the  plants 
with  six  or  eight  inches  of  leaves  or  coarse  manure. 

THE  VARIETIES  are  the  Green  Globe  and  Common 
Green,  differing  but  little,  except  in  the  form  of  the 
flower-head,  the  former  being  globular,  the  latter  conical. 
It  is  claimed  by  some  that  the  Common  Green  is  more 
hardy  and  productive,  but  wre  have  grown  them  side  by 
side  for  years  and  never  have  observed  any  difference, 
except  the  very  trifling  one  in  the  shape  of  the  flower-head. 


Fig.   16.— GREEN   GLOBE  ARTICHOKE. 


130  GAEDENING   FOE   PEOFIT. 

ARTICHOKE,—  JERUSALEM.— (Helianthus  tuberosus.) 

This  is  an  entirely  different  plant  from  the  true  Arti- 
choke, though  it  resembles  it  someweAvhat  in  flavor — 
hence  its  name.  It  is  a  species  of  Heliantlius,  or  Sun- 
flower, and  the  plant  has  the  general  appearance  of  a 
small  Sunflower.  The  edible  part  of  the  plant  is  its 
tubers.  These  are  like  the  potato  in  appearance,  but 
when  cooked,  to  the  taste  of  most  people,  are  very  inferior 
in  flavor.  Their  nutritive  value  is  said,  however,  to  be 
fully  equal  to  that  of  the  potato.  Used  in  the  raw  state 
it  is  pickled  like  the  cucumber,  or  sliced  and  eaten  with 
vinegar  as  a  salad,  but  as  a  culinary  vegetable  it  is  but 
little  grown,  except  for  variety  or  novelty. 

Its  culture  is,  in  all  respects,  similar  to  the  potato, 
but  it  is  more  productive,  always  free  from  disease,  will 
grow  almost  in  any  soil  or  situation,  and  will  stand  the 
winter  on  light  soils  wherever  a  Parsnip  crop  will  stand ; 


JERUSALEM  ARTICHOKE. 

for  these  reasons  it  is  regarded  as  a  valuable  food  for 
cattle  or  pigs,  who  eat  it  freely.  It  is  planted  largely  at 
the  West  as  food  for  swine,  which  do  their  own  har- 
vesting. 

There   are  several  varieties,  known  as  Red,  Purple, 
Yellow  and  White  tikinned. 


VEGETABLES — BASIL — BALM — BEAKS.  131 

BASIL. — (Ocimum  Basilicum.) 

An  herb  of  a  highly  aromatic  odor,  and  a  strong  flavor 
of  cloves.  It  is  used  for  flavoring  soups,  stews  and 
sauces,  and  is  by  some  used  in  salads.  Its  culture  is  the 
same  as  that  of  other  sweet  herbs.  The  seed  should  be 
sown  in  the  open  (/round  and  not  in  frames,  which  is  the 
English  practice,  and  necessary  there  from  their  colder 
climate.  Sow  in  rows  one  foot  apart ;  when  three  or 
four  inches  high  it  may  be  transplanted  in  rows  one  foot 
apart  and  six  inches  between  plants.  If  a  small  quantity 
only  is  required,  it  may  be  thinned  out  in  the  seed  rows 
and  left  to  grow  where  sown. 

There  are  two  species  cultivated,  namely,  the  Common 
Sweet  Basil  (Ocimum  Basilicum),  and  the  Bush  Basil 
(0.  minimum). 


BALM.— (Melissa  officinalis.) 

Another  well-known  aromatic  herb  which  has  a  very 
agreeable  lemon-like  odor.  It  is  used  as  a  tea  for  its 
soothing  effect  in  irritations  of  the  throat  and  lungs,  and 
a  century  ago  was  used  as  a  specific  for  coughs  and  colds. 
Its  young  shoots  are  sometimes  used  as  an  ingredient  in 
salads.  It  is  rapidly  propagated  by  divisions  of  the  root, 
which,  planted  in  Spring  at  one  foot  apart  each  way, 
will  form  a  solid  mass  by  fall. 

Besides  the  common  kind  we  have  now  in  cultivation 
a  beautiful  variegated  variety,  possessing  all  the  prop- 
erties of  the  other. 


BEANS.— (Phaseolus  vulgaris.)—BusH,  KIDNEY  AND  POLE. 

A  leading  vegetable  of  our  market  gardens,  and  ex- 
tensively cultivated  in  every  section  of  the  country  North 


132  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

and  South.  Although  it  can  be  grown  on  soils  thjat  are 
not  enriched  by  manure,  yet,  like  almost  every  other 
vegetable,  it  is  more  profitable  when  grown  on  highly 
cultivated  land.  It  is  what  we  term  a  "  tender"  plant ; 
that  is,  one  that  will  be  killed  by  the  action  of  slight 
frosts,  hence  it  is  not  planted  until  late  enough  in  the 
spring  to  secure  it  from  the  risk.  As  in  a  country  pre- 
senting such  differences  of  temperature  as  ours,  no  stated 
date  can  be  given  at  which  to  sow,  perhaps  no  safer  rule 
can  be  adopted  for  sowing  all  "  tender  "  vegetables  for 
all  parts  of  the  country  than  the  time  at  which  our  great 
staple,  Indian  Corn,  is  planted.  This  rule  will  be 
equally  intelligible  to  the  inhabitants  of  Maine  and  to 
those  of  South  Carolina,  for  all  plant  Corn,  and  know 
that  our  great  enemy  to  early  vegetation,  "  Jack  Frost," 
will,  without  scruple,  smite  this  "tender"  vegetable  if 
it  be  forced  to  grow  before  his  icy  reign  is  past.  In  this 
section  we  plant  Beans  for  first  crop  when  we  plant 
Corn,  from  10th  to  20th  May.  But  as  the  crop  of 
Beans  comes  rapidly  to  maturity  under  favorable  cir- 
cumstances, hi  five  or  six  weeks,  it  may  be  sown  any  time 
from  these  dates  until  July,  August,  or  September,  ac- 
cording to  the  temperature  of  the  district. 

The  culture  in  market  gardens  is  simply  to  draw  drills 
about  three  inches  deep,  and  from  eighteen  inches  to  two 
feet  apart,  according  to  the  richness  of  the  soil;  the 
poorer  the  soil  the  closer  they  can  be  planted.  The 
seed  is  dropped  in  the  drills  two  or  three  inches  apart, 
and  the  soil  covered  in  on  them  with  the  feet ;  this  we 
find  to  be  a  quicker  and  better  method  of  covering  in 
seeds  of  this  size  than  by  the  hoe  or  rake.  After  the 
plants  have  grown  an  inch  or  two  a  cultivator  is  run 
between  the  rows,  which  generally  is  all  that  is  necessary 
to  be  done,  until  they  are  large  enough  to  have  a  little 
earth  thrown  to  each  side  of  the  row  by  the  plow,  which 
completes  their  cultivation.  Beans,  like  Tomatoes  and 


VEGETABLES — BEAN". 


133 


Peas,,  are  easy  of  cultivation  and  not  particular  as  to 
soil,  and  are,  in  consequence,  rarely  a 
profitable  crop  in  the  locality  in  which 
they  are  grown;  hence  the  only  way  in 
which  they  are  made  profitable  is  by 
growing  South  and  shipping  North,  they 
being  easily  transported.  Large  quanti- 
ties are  grown  in  early  soils  in  Southern 
sections  of  the  country  and  shipped  to  our 
large  Northern  cities,  and  meet  a  rapid 
sale  at  prices  that  must  pay  a  large  profit, 
if  their  manner  of  growing  the  crop  is  as 
simple  as  ours.  It  will  be  understood 
that  this  crop  is  almost  exclusively  sold 
in  pod  as  snap  shorts  (in  the  green  un- 
ripened  state)  by  the  hucksters,  and  rarely 
as  a  shell  bean. 

The  varieties  are  now  very  numerous, 
but  the  following,  placed  in  what  we  con- 
sider the  order  of  their  value  to  the  mar- 
ket gardener,  will  embrace  variety  enough 
for  all  practical  purposes. 


BEAU".—  DWARF. 

Earliest  Red  Valentine,— This  variety 
is  at  least  ten  days  earlier  than  the  Early 
Red  Valentine,  which  is  one  of  the  very 
best  market  varieties.  On  account  of  its 
great  earliness  it  is  largely  grown  by  mar- 
ket gardeners ;  but  except  in  the  charac- 
teristic of  extreme  earliness,  it  differs  in 
no  other  way  from  the  Early  Red  Valen- 
tine next  described.  (See  figure  17.) 


TINE  BEAN. 


134  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

Early  Red  Valentine. — Equally  desirable  for  either 
market  or  family  use,  being  early,  productive,  tender  and 
of  excellent  flavor.  The  pods  are  round,  somewhat 
curved,  and  the  seeds,  when  ripe,  salmon  speckled  with 
purplish  rose.  This  variety  is  usually  ready  to  pick  in 
six  weeks  from  the  time  of  sowing. 

Early  Mohawk. — A  very  productive  early  variety  and 
one  that  will  stand  more  cold  than  most  of  the  bush 
varieties.  Both  this  and  the  preceding  sort  are  largely 
grown  in  the  Southern  States  for  Northern  markets. 
The  pods  are  from  five  to  six  inches  long ;  seeds,  when 
ripe,  drab  with  purple  spots. 

Long  Yellow  Six  Weeks,— Early,  very  prolific,  and  of 
excellent  quality.  Pods,  six  to  eight  inches  long  ;  seeds, 
when  ripe,  yellow  or  dun  color. 

Refugee  or  Thousand  to  One, — A  very  productive 
medium  or  late  variety.  The  young  pods  are  tender  and 
of  fine  flavor.  This  variety  is  extensively  grown  for 
pickling.  Seeds,  speckled  purple. 

Gallega  or  Large  Refugee,  —This  is  of  recent  intro- 
duction and  is  a  larger  form  of  the  Eefagee  above  de- 
scribed. Both  pods  and  seeds  are  not  only  much  larger 
in  size  than  their  parent  variety,  but  it  is  also  a  much 
better  yielder.  Seeds,  wThen  ripe,  purple,  speckled  with 
white. 

White  Marrowfat, — The  variety  so  often  grown  for 
sale  in  the  dry  state.  It  is  also  valued  as  a  string  bean, 
but  is  used  to  a  greater  extent  as  a  shelled  bean,  either 
green  or  dry.  Seeds  large,  ivory  white. 


BEAN.-WAX. 

Black  Wrax, — When  ripe  the  pods  are  yellow,  averag- 
ing: from  six  to  nine  inches  in  length.     They  are  tender, 


VEGETABLES — BEAK.  135 

and  the  quality  is  of  the  very  best.     The  seeds,  when 
ripe,  are  glossy  black. 

Golden  Wax, — A  strong  growing,  dis- 
tinct variety,  at  least  a  week  earlier  than 
the  Black  AVax.  The  pods  will  average 
six  inches  long,  are  brittle  and  entirely 
stringless.  As  a  snap  bean,  it  perhaps 
excels  all  others  in  tenderness  and  rich- 
ness of  flavor.  Seeds,  when  ripe,  are 
purple  and  white,  (See  figure  18.) 

Flageolet  Wax,— The  pods  of  this 
are  very  large  size,  of  ten  a  foot  in  length, 
exceedingly  tender  and  succulent,  and 
enormously  productive.  It  is  equally 
good  as  a  shell  bean.  I  consider  this  one 
of  the  best  of  the  Bush  Beans. 


BEAN.— (Phaseolus  hinatus,  etc.)— RUNNING 
OR  POLE. 

These  are  more  tender  and  require 
rather  more  care  in  culture  than  the 
Bush  Beans.  The  soil  best  suited  is 
sandy  loam,  which  should  be  liberally 
enriched  with  short  manure  in  the  hills, 
which  are  formed,  according  to  variety, 
from  three  to  four  feet  apart,  and  pro- 
vided with  a  stake  from  eight  to  nine 
feet  in  height,  set  in  the  center  of  each. 
This  class  of  beans  is  particularly  tender, 
and  it  is  perfectlv  useless  to  plant  the 

T      ,      ,,  ,,  "     ,.  !          ,  Fi£.    18.— GOLDEN 

seeds  before  the  weather  has  become  set-        WAX  BEAN 
tied  and  warm  in   spring,   as  they  are 
almost  certain  to  rofc,  and  even  should  they  not,  the  plant 
makes  no  growth,  unless  in  uninterrupted  warm  weather. 


136  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

In  this  district  they  should  never  be  planted  out  until  a 
week  or  more  after  the  planting  of  Bush  Beans  ;  if  planted 
at  the  same  time,  10th  of  May,  they  are  almost  certain  to 
fail. 

From  five  to  six  seeds  are  planted  in  each  hill  about 
two  inches  deep.  Being  a  vegetable  requiring  considera- 
ble expense  in  growing,  staking,  picking,  etc.,  it  brings 
a  correspondingly  high  price  per  acre  in  market ;  but 
maturing  during  the  heat  of  summer,  the  advantage  of 
earliness  in  this  crop  is  not  so  manifest  as  in  many  others. 
The  profits  per  acre  average  about  $150,  when  sold  for 
consumption  in  the  locality  in  which  it  is  grown.  Shipped 
from  earlier  sections  it,  no  doubt,  would  double  the  above 
amount.  There  are  many  varieties,  but  only  a  few  of 
leading  merit. 

Law  White  Lima,— With  nearly  every  one  the  seeds 
of  this  variety,  either  green  or  ripe,  are  considered  the 
most  tender  and  delicate  of  all  the  varieties  of  the  bean, 
and  it  is  therefore  universally  grown,  both  for  market  and 
family  use.  The  ripe  seeds  are  kidney  shaped,  and  of  a 
dull  white  color. 

Jersey  Extra  Early  Lima, — (See  figure  19.)  A  new 
variety,  said  to  be  ten  days  earlier  than  any  other  sort 
grown  in  this  vicinity.  The  pods  have  been  in  the  New 
York  market  as  early  as  July  30th,  and  sold  at  the  rate 
of  $3  per  bushel  (of  pods).  In  size,  appearance  and  qual- 
ity it  is  much  the  same  as  the  Large  White  Lima. 

Dreer's  Improved  Lima, — The  distinctive  features  of 
this  bean  are,  early  maturity,  large  yield  and  extra  quality. 
The  bean  itself  is  thick,  and  in  shape  more  round  than 
oval. 

Scarlet  Runner, — A  great  favorite  in  European  gar- 
dens, both  as  an  ornamental  plant  and  a  useful  vegetab1^. 
It  grows  to  a  height  of  nine  or  ten  feet,  producing 
dazzling  scarlet  flowers  from  July  to  October.  Used  both 


VEGETABLES  —  BEAX. 


as  string  beans  and  shelled.     Seeds,  when  ripe,  are  lilac, 
mottled  with  black.     A  distinct  species,  Pliaseolus  mul- 
tiflorus. 
Giant  Wax,  —  Very  productive,  bearing  pods  from  six 


Fig.  19. — JERSEY  EXTRA  EARLY  LIMA  BEAN. 

to  nine  inches  long,  of  waxy  color,  thick  and  fleshy,  ten- 
der and  of  good  flavor.  The  seeds  are  red  when  ripe. 

German  Wax, — One  of  the  best  pole  varieties,  produc- 
ing large,  flat  pods. 

Horticultural  or  Speckled  Cranberry.— One  of  the 
best  of  the  pole  sorts  for  use  in  pods.  It  is  very  produc- 


138  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

tive,  and  of  excellent  quality,  whether  served  in  the 
green  state  or  shelled.  The  ripe  beans  are  yellowish 
white,  spotted  with  pink. 


BEET.  -(Beta  vulgaris. ) 

This  is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  yaluable  crops  of 
our  market  gardens,  and,  next  to  Cabbages,  is  perhaps 
the  most  extensively  grown  as  an  early  crop.  The  soil 
best  suited  is  that  which  is  rather  light  than  otherwise, 
always  provided  that  it  is  thoroughly  enriched  by  ma- 
nure. We  make  little  difference  in  the  manner  of  work- 
ing or  manuring  the  ground  for  any  of  our  leading  early 
crops.  The  ground  must,  in  all  cases,  be  thoroughly 
pulverized  by  plowing,  subsoiliug  and  harrowing,  and 
when  stable  manure  can  be  procured,  plowed  in  at  the 
rate  of  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  tons  per  acre.  It 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  large  quantity  of  manure 
is  used  where  two  crops  are  taken  off  the  land  in  one  sea- 
son, for  Celery  always  follows  crops  of  Early  Beets,  Cab- 
bages, Onions,  etc.  If  stable  manure  cannot  be  had,  the 
next  best  substitutes  must  be  used  in  the  quantities 
specified  in  Chapter  on  Manures.  As  early  in  spring  as 
the  ground  becomes  fit  to  work,  the  Beets  are  usually 
sown  in  rows  one  foot  apart,  made  by  the  "  marker," 
about  three  inches  deep.  We  prefer  to  sow  rather  thickly 
by  hand  (not  less  than  eight  pounds  per  acre),  for  the 
reason  that  late  frosts  often  kill  off  a  portion  of  the  young 
plants  ;  but  when  sown  thickly,  enough  is  generally  left 
to  make  a  crop  which  amply  repays  the  difference  of  a 
few  pounds  of  seed.  After  sowing,  the  seed  is  pressed 
in  by  the  feet  (see  "Use  of  the  Feet  in  Sowing  and 
Planting,"  page  96),  and  if  the  weather  is  dry,  the  whole 
surface  is  also  rolled,  which  firms  the  soil  better  around 
the  seed  and  also  leaves  the  ground  level,  making  it  easier 


VEGETABLES — BEET.  139 

to  be  hoed.  This  firming  of  Beet  seed  is  very  impor- 
tant, as  hundreds  of  acres,  particularly  of  the  Sugar  Beet, 
grown  on  the  farm  for  stock,  are  annually  lost  for  want  of 
this  precaution.  Beets  are  occasionally  planted  two  feet 
apart,  and  the  intervening  row  sown  with  Radishes..  The 
Radishes  mature  early,  and  are  used  or  sold  off  soon 
enough  to  allow  more  room  for  the  Beet  crop.  It 
makes  but  little  difference  with  us  in  the  profits  of  the 
crop  which  way  it  is  done,  the  results  being  nearly  the  same 
in  each  case.  But  in  places  where  but  limited  quantities 
of  vegetables  can  be  disposed  of,  perhaps  the  latter 
plan  is  the  best.  The  young  Beets  are  thinned  out  to 
six  inches  apart  when  the  rows  are  one  foot  apart,  but 
when  at  two  feet  to  only  four  inches,  as  they  have  more 
space  between  the  rows  for  air.  The  thinnings  of  the 
Beets  are  used  like  Spinach,  and,  when  carefully  handled, 
they  will  always  sell  for  more  than  the  cost  of  the  labor 
of  thinning  the  crop. 

In  this  neighborhood,  Beets  sown  first  week  in  April 
are  begun  to  be  marketed  the  first  week  in  June  and  en- 
tirely cleared  off  by  July  1st,  when  the  ground  is  pre- 
pared for  the  second  crop.  It  will  be  understood  that 
they  are,  at  this  early  date,  sold  in  an  immature  state, 
before  the  root  has  reached  complete  development ;  but 
the  great  point  is  earliness,  the  public  being  well  satis- 
fied to  pay  more  for  it  half-grown,  if  early,  than  when 
full-grown,  if  late. 

This  crop  I  have  always  considered  a  very  profitable 
one,  even  at  the  seemingly  low  price  of  seventy-five  cents 
per  100  roots,  the  average  wholesale  price  in  New  York 
markets.  But  80,000  roots  are  grown  per  acre  when 
sown  at  one  foot  apart,  and  although  the  labor  of  pull- 
ing and  bunching  up  is  greater  than  in  some  crops,  yet 
at  seventy-five  cents  per  100  it  will  give  an  easy  profit  of 
$250  per  acre. 

Beets  are  an  excellent  article  to  ship,  and  the  price 


140  GARDE^IXG   FOR   PKOFIT. 

paid  in  New  York  for  the  first  lots  from  Savannah  and 
Norfolk,  etc.,  is  often  as  high  as  $2  per  100  roots. 

The  foregoing  all  relates  to  the  crop  in  the  green  state 
for  an  early  market,  but  they  are  also  extensively  grown 
for  use  in  fall,  winter  and  spring.  For  this  they  are 
usually  sown  later,  often  in  some  sections  as  a  second 
crop,  as  late  as  July  1st,  although  in  the  Northern  States 
the  roots  hardly  develop 
enough  when  sown  after 
June.  The  manner  of  sav- 
ing them  in  winter  will  be 
found  under  the  head  of  Pre- 
serving Vegetables  inWinter. 


Fig.   30. — EGYPTIAN  TURNIP  BEET.  Fig.  21.— ECLIPSE  BEET. 

The  really  useful  varieties  of  Beets  are  very  limited  in 
number,  and  are  embraced  in  the  following,  arranged  as 
usual,  according  to  their  merit  as  market  sorts: 

Egyptian  Turnip,— (See  figure  20.)  Now  a  standard 
sort,  being  from  ten  to  twelve  days  earlier  than  the  old 
.Blood  Turnip.  The  roots  are  large  in  size  and  of  a  rich, 
deep  crimson  color.  From  the  smallness  of  the  tops  at 
least  one-fourth  more  can  be  grown  on  the  same  space 
than  of  any  other  sort  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of  raising. 

Eclipse. — -(See  figure  21. )  A  new  variety  that  bids  fail- 
to  rival  the  Egyptian  as  an  early  market  sort.  It  is  just 
about  as  early  as  the  Egyptian,  but  is  larger  and  of  very 


VEGETABLES — BEET. 


141 


much  finer  quality.  It  makes  a  comparatively  small  top 
and  the  roots  are  of  the  globe  form  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration. Our  market  gardeners  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  claim  that  it  is  bound  to  be  the  leading  market  sort. 

Bastian's    Blood     Turnip,  —  After    the     , 
Egyptian  and  Eclipse  varieties,  this  is  prob-  \\ 
ably  the  earliest   Beet  in  cultivation.     In 
shape  it  is  very  similar  to  the  Early  Blood 
Turnip  described  below. 

Early  Blood  Turnip,  —  A  well-known 
variety,  following  the  Egyptian  and  Eclipse 
in  earliness.  It  is  a  deep  red  color,  and 
of  excellent  quality. 

Dewing's  Improved  Blood  .Turnip,—  This 

is  simply  an  improved  variety  of  the  Early 
Blood  Turnip,  with  the  roots  of  a  deep 
blood-red  color,  and  fine  form  and  flavor. 
An  excellent  market  sort. 

Long,  Smooth  Blood,—  (See  figure  22.) 
A  great  improvement  on  the  common  Blood 
Beet,  being  less  strong  and  freer  from  root- 
lets, besides  being  a  week  earlier.  It  is  now 
grown  here  to  the  entire  exclusion  of  the 
other.  The  market  demand,  however,  for 
early  crops  requires  twice  the  quantity  of 
round  to  that  of  long  beets  ;  for  late  sales 
of  barreled  roots  exactly  the  reverse  quan- 
tities are  needed. 

Swiss  Chard,—  A  distinct  species  from 
the  common  Beet,  which  is  grown  for  its 
roots,  while  the  former  is  cultivated  solely  for  its  leaves. 
The  midrib  of  the  leaf  is  stewed  as  Asparagus,  the  other 
portions  of  the  leaf  being  used  as  Spinach.  The  outer 
leaves  are  pulled  off  as  in  gathering  Rhubarb.  It  is 
largely  grown  in  France  and  Switzerland.  In  this  coun- 


Fig.  23.—  LONG, 

BLOOD 


142  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

try  it  is  now  cultivated  to  some  extent  in  private  gar- 
dens only.  Its  handsome  leaves  are  as  attractive  as  many 
of  our  prized  flower  garden  "foliage  plants,"  and  no 
doubt  it  would  be  much  valued  if  we  could  only  regard 
it  without  the  idea  of  its  being  only  a  Beet. 


BORECOLE  OR  KALE.— (Brassica  oleracea.     Far.) 

A  variety  of  this,  receiving  the  rather  indefinite  term 
of  "Sprouts,"  is  extensively  grown  for  the  Northern 
markets,  many  acres  of  it  being  cultivated  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York.  It  is  sown  in  the  month  of  September  in 
rows  one  foot  apart,  treated  in  every  way  as  Spinach,  and 
is  ready  for  use  in  early  spring.  It  is  difficult  to  keep  in 
some  soils  in  winter  ;  those  of  rather  a  light  nature  being 
the  best.  When  successfully  wintered  over,  it  is  a  very 
profitable  crop,  not  unfrequently  selling  for  $500  per  acre. 
The  variety  thus  grown  is  known  in  the  seed  stores  as 
Dwarf  German  Greens.  Another  class  of  it  is  cultivated 
as  we  grow  late  Cabbage  ;  it  is  sown  in  the  open  ground 
in  May,  and  planted  out  at  distances,  according  to  the 
variety,  from  two  to  three  feet  apart.  Of  all  the  Cabbage 
tribe  this  is  the  most  tender  and  delicate,  and  it  is  sur- 
prising that  it  has  never  yet  been  wanted  in  quantity 
enough  to  make  it  a  marketable  vegetable,  not  one  head 
being  sold  to  one  thousand  of  the  coarse  winter  Cabbage. 
The  varieties  are  very  numerous  ;  those  below  described 
are  all  standard  sorts. 

"Siberian  Dwarf  Curled  Kale,"  "Dwcrf  German 
Greens,"  or  "  Sprouts."— (See  figure  23.)  The  leaves 
are  of  a  bluish  green,  resembling  somewhat  the  foliage  of 
the  Ruta  Baga  Turnip.  It  is  of  delicate  flavor  and  in 
every  way  desirable.  It  is  the  popular  market  variety. 
This  is  the  kind  grown  exactly  as  Spinach  ;  it  is  culti- 
vated in  immense  quantities  South  for  Northern  markets. 


VEGETABLES — BOEECOLE. 


143 


Very  Early  Dwarf. — A  new  variety  that  is  said  to  be 
of  special  excellence.  The  leaves  are  of  a  yellowish  green 
color,  very  dwarf  and  finely  curled.  It  grows  very  close 
to  the  ground. 

Dwarf  Green  Curled  Scotch, — A  dwarf  variety,  rarely 
exceeding  eighteen  inches  in  height,  but  spreading  out 


Fig.  23.— GERMAN   GREENS. 

under  good  cultivation  to  three  feet  in  diameter.  The 
leaves  are  beautifully  curled  and  of  a  bright  green.  This 
variety  is  very  hardy  and  will  remain  over  winter  in 
any  place  where  the  temperature  does  not  fall  below  zero. 
It  is  most  tender  after  being  touched  by  sharp  frost.  This 
is  the  variety  used  in  the  famous  Scotch  dish  of  "  beef 
and  greens." 

Purple  Borecole.— Similar  to  the  above  in  all  respects 
except  the  color,  which  is  a  dull  purple.     This  is  the  va- 


144  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

riety  most  esteemed  by  the  Germans.  It  is  very  hardy 
and  is  often  seen  in  the  markets  of  New  York  as  late  as 
January. 


BROCCOLI.— (Brassica  oleracea.     Far.) 

This  vegetable  is  so  closely  allied  to  Cauliflower  that  it 
seems  absurd  to  have  ever  divided  them  under  different 
heads.  Still,  we  persist  in  growing  them  under  the  names 
of  Broccoli  and  Cauliflower,  the  Broccoli  being  planted 
for  fall  use,  Cauliflower,  on  the  other  hand,  being  mostly 
planted  for  summer  use,  although  it  is  well  known  that 
their  seasons  might  be  reversed  without  any  marked  dif- 
ference in  the  results.  Like  all  of  the  Cabbage  tribe, 
Broccoli,  to  grow  it  in  perfection,  requires  the  soil  to  be 
in  the  highest  possible  •  degree  of  fertility.  The  seed 
should  be  sown,  in  this  district,  in  the  early  part  of  May, 
which  will  give  plants  large  enough  to  be  transplanted  in 
July.  Farther  south  the  sowing  should  be  delayed  until 
June  or  July,  and  the  transplanting  delayed  accordingly 
until  August,  September,  or  October.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  in  parts  of  the  country  where  the  thermometer  does 
not  fall  below  twenty  or  twenty-five  degrees  above  zero, 
Broccoli  may  be  had  in  perfection  from  November  un- 
til March.  A  necessary  condition  of  perfect  development 
is  a  moist  and  rather  cool  atmosphere  ;  for  this  reason  we 
only  get  the  crop  in  fine  condition,  in  this  district,  during 
the  cool  and  moist  months  of  October  and  "November. 
Owing  often,  however,  to  heat  or  dryness  in  the  months  of 
August  and  September,  the  crop  becomes  an  entire  failure, 
and  for  this  reason,  for  market  purposes,  it  is  rather 
hazardous.  When  a  good  crop  is  made,  however,  it  is 
very  profitable,  rarely  bringing  less  than  $8  per  100, 
or  about  8800  per  acre  ;  but  as  the  crop  in  this  sec- 
tion fails  two  seasons  out  of  three,  it  is  not  considered  a 


VEGETABLES — BRUSSELS   SPKOUTS.  145 

desirable  one  to  plant.  The  plants  of  most  of  the  varie- 
ties are  set  out  two  and  a  half  by  one  and  a  half  feet,  or 
about  10,000  plants  per  acre. 

In  this  district,  for  market  purposes,  we  confine  our- 
selves to  the  first  two  varieties  named  below ;  some 
others,  however,  are  occasionally  grown  for  family  use. 

White  Cape. — Heads  of  medium  size,  close,  compact, 
and  of  a  creamy  white  color ;  one  of  the  most  certain  to 
head. 

Purple  Cape, — Nearly  similar  in  all  respects  to  the 
White  Cape,  except  in  color,  which  is  greenish-purple. 
This  variety  is  rather  hardier  than  the  preceding,  but  its 
color  renders  it  of  less  value  in  market,  White  Heads  of 
the  same  quality  bringing  $1  to  $2  more  per  100.  This 
is  a  mere  matter  of  fancy  in  the  buyers,  however,  as,  when 
cooked,  there  is  but  little  difference  in  its  appearance 
from  the  White,  and  none  whatever  in  the  flavor. 

Early  Walcheren. — This  variety  seems  to  produce  its 
heads  earlier  than  the  preceding,  but  they  are  not  usually 
so  heavy  or  compact.  This  variety  so  closely  resembles 
a  Cauliflower  that  it  is  not  easy  to  ?ay  in  what  respect  it 
differs  from  one.  In  England,  where  the  Broccoli  is 
much  more  grown  than  with  us,  this  variety  is  sown 
every  few  weeks,  in  order  to  keep  up  a  constant  supply. 
The  English  catalogues  enumerate  some  thirty  or  more 
varieties,  and  each  year  adds  to  the  list. 


BRUSSELS  SPROUTS.— (Brassica  olemcea.     Far.) 

This  vegetable  has  never  come  into  general  use  in  this 
country,  probably  owing  to  its  being  too  tender  to  stand 
the  winters  of  the  Northern  States.  Still,  by  sowing  in 
April  or  May,  and  planting  out  in  July,  it  may  be  had 


146 


GARDENING   FOB   PEOFIT. 


in  fine  condition  until  December;  and,  in  the  Southern 
States,  may  be  had  in  use  from  November  to  March. 

Even  in  England,  where  it  is 
very  extensively  grown,  it  is 
not  much  raised  for  market, 
being  mainly  cultivated  for 
private  use.  Its  cultivation  is 
very  simple,  and  it  can  be  grown 
on  almost  any  soil.  Plant  about 
two  feet  apart,  and  cultivate  as 
for  Cabbages. 

Brussels  Sprouts  are  readily 
distinguished    from    all    other 
varieties  of  the   Cabbage  tribe 
by  the  sprouts  or  buds,   about 
the  size  of  walnuts,  which  grow 
thickly  around  the  stem.  These 
Fig.  24.— BRUSSELS' SPKOUTS.    sprouts  are  the  parts  used,  and 
are  equal  in  tenderness  and  flavor  to  Cauliflower  or  Broc- 
coli. 


CABBAGE  AND  CAULIFLOWER. 

Cabbage  is  much  easier  managed  than  Cauliflower,  and 
is  consequently  more  certain  of  giving  a  crop,  even  under 
unfavorable  conditions.  The  first  condition  of  success 
with  the  Cabbage  crop,  like  that  of  nearly  every  other 
vegetable,  is  the  right  kind  of  soil. 

The  best  soil  for  Cabbage  is  a  rather  sandy  loam,  not 
less  than  ten  inches  deep,  the  subsoil  under  which  should 
be  sand  or  gravel — a  clayey  or  stiff  subsoil  is  uncongenial 
to  almost  every  crop.  It  may  bs  superfluous  to  say  that 
unless  the  soil  for  Cabbage  is  drained  artificially  or  natur- 
ally (by  a  sand  or  gravel  subsoil),  that  success  is  impos- 
sible. This,  of  course,  is  true  of  nearly  every  crop 
grown.  The  proper  pulverizing  of  the  soil  is  a  matter  of 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   AKD   CAULIFLOWER.        147 

the  utmost  importance.  Although  many  of  the  large 
market  gardens  in  England  are  yet  dug  with  the  spade 
or  digging  fork,  it  is  rare  that  anything  else  is  used  with 
us  than  the  plow  and  harrow.  We  ourselves  are  so 
satisfied  of  the  superiority  of  the  plow  as  a  pulverizer 
of  the  soil  over  the  spade  or  digging  fork,  that  we  would 
not  allow  our  grounds,  for  any  purpose,  to  be  dug,  even 
if  done  for  nothing,  and  no  digging  is  ever  done  on  our 
grounds  in  any  spot  where  horses  can  be  worked. 
Experience  has  shown  us  that  it  is  always  beneficial  for 
the  Cabbage  crop  to  plow  land  in  the  fall,  not  only  be- 
cause when  thus  thrown  up  in  ridges  it  gets  pulverized  by 
the  action  of  the  frost,  but  also  that  the  turning  up  of 
the  soil  exposes  the  larvae  and  eggs  of  insects  also  to  the 
frost,  which  tends  greatly  to  lessen  their  numbers  the  suc- 
ceeding year. 

Manure  for  the  early  Cabbage  crop  should  always  be 
spread  on  broadcast,  and  in  quantity  not  less  than  100 
cart  loads,  or  seventy-five  tons  to  the  acre,  which  will 
leave  it^  when  spread,  about  two  or  three  inches  in  thick- 
ness. It  is  not  unusual  that  much  choice  can  be  made 
in  stable  manure,  but  when  such  is  the  case,  equal  por- 
tions of  cow  and  horse  manure  are  preferable,  not  that 
there  is  much  difference  in  value,  weight  for  weight,  but 
that  it  is  advantageous  to  have  the  manure  of  the  cow 
stable  mixed  with  that  of  the  horse,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
violent  heating  of  the  horse  manure,  which,  if  not 
repeatedly  turned,  will  generate  heat  so  as  to  cause  -it  to 
"  fire  fang"  or  burn,  which  renders  it  comparatively  use- 
less. Always  bear  in  mind  that  the  more  thoroughly 
rotted  and  disintegrated  manure  can  be  had,  the  better 
will  be  the  results.  When  manure  is  thoroughly  rotted 
and  short,  it  may  be  turned  in  by  the  plow  just  as  it 
is  spread  on  the  land,  but  if  long,  it  is  necessary  to 
draw  it  into  the  furrow  ahead  of  the  plow,  so  that  it  is 
completely  covered  in.  After  plowing  in  the  manure, 


148  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

and  before  the  ground  is  harrowed,  our  best  growers  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York  sow  from  400  to  500  pounds  of 
guano  or  bone  dust,  and  then  harrow  it  in  deeply,  and 
smooth  over  with  the  back  of  the  harrow,  when  the  bed. 
is  ready  to  receive  the  plants. 

In  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and,  in  fact,  now  wher- 
ever the  business  of  market  gardening  is  intelligently 
followed,  the  two  best  kinds  of  Cabbage  for  the  early 
crop  are  recognized  to  be  the  "  Early  Jersey  Wakefield" 
and  "Henderson's  Early  Summer"  for  general  culture, 
and  to  describe  others  of  the  scores*  named  would  be  only 
confusing.  "Jersey  Wakefield"  is  the  earliest  and  a 
little  the  smallest,  and  is  planted  usually  twenty-eight 
inches  between  the  rows  and  sixteen  inches  between 
the  plants,  thus  requiring  from  10,000  to  12,000  plants 
per  acre.  "  Early  Summer "  grows  a  little  larger, 
and  should  be  planted  thirty  inches  apart  and  eighteen 
inches  between  plants,  requiring  from  8,000  to  10,000 
per  acre.  The  reason  for  placing  the  rows  so  wide  apart 
and  the  plants  so  close  in  the  rows,  is  to  admit  of  a  row 
of  Lettuce,  Spinach  or  Radishes  between  the  rows  of 
Cabbage.  All  of  these  vegetables  mature  quickly,  and 
can  be  cut  out  before  the  Cabbage  grows  enough  to  inter- 
fere with  them,  and  it  is  necessary  that  this  double  crop 
should  be  taken  off  the  land  so  as  to  help  pay  for  the 
manure  that  is  so  lavishly  used,  but  which  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  produce  a  good  crop  of  Cabbages.  Where 
early  Cabbages  are  grown  alone,  then  it  would  be  better 
to  plant  about  two  or  two  and  a  half  feet  each  way,  so 
that  cross  cultivation  can  be  done  ;  and  also  in  cases 
where  manure  in  sufficient  quantities  is  not  attainable, 
they  are  better  thus  planted  when  manure  has  to  be 
applied  in  the  hill.  If  applied  in  the  hill,  a  good  shov- 
elful of  stable  manure  should  be  used  to  each,  mixing  it 
well  with  the  soil,  but  raising  the  "hill,"  so-called,  no 
higher  than  the  general  surface. 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   AND    CAULIFLOWER.        149 

There  lias  been  a  want  long  felt  by  many  of  the  market 
gardeners  and'  truckers  for  a  variety  of  Cabbage  which 
would  come  in  after  the  Early  Summer  and  before  any  of 
the  late  sorts,  but  such  a  sort,  with  all  the  characteristics 
of  the  Henderson's  Early  Summer,  of  standing  without 
bursting,  of  being  later,  and  consequently  larger,  is  hard 
to  obtain.  Through  the  medium,  however,  of  the  same 
good-  friend  who  first  brought  to  our  notice  the  Hender- 
son's Early  Summer,  Mr.  Abraham  Van  Sicklen,  of  Long 
Island,  we  think  we  will  be  able,  within  another  year,  to 
present  to  the  public  a  variety  of  Cabbage  which  will 
exactly  supply  this  long-felt  want.  That  is,  of  a  Cabbage 
to  succeed  the  Early  Summer,  being  about  two  weeks 
later  than  the  average  crop  of  that  variety,  larger,  and 
with  all  its  good  characteristics  of  standing  in  the  field 
without  bursting  and  of  regularity  in  habit,  close  grow- 
ing and  sure  heading.  I  have  not  yet  named  this  variety, 
as  I  wish  another  season's  test  of  it  before  deciding  to 
give  it  to  the  public ;  but  if  it  should  prove  itself  during 
another  season  as  valuable  as  in  the  last  two  it  will  be  a 
decided  acquisition. 

The  raising  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce  plants 
will,  for  " wintered  over"  plants,  be  found  under  the 
head  of  "Uses  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames,"  and 
for  spring  plants  under  the  head  of  "  Spring  Raising  of 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce  Plants." 

WHAT  DEGREE  OF  FROST  WILL  CABBAGE  AND  CAULI- 
FLOWER STAND  IN  THE  FRAMES  BEFORE  BEING  COH- 
ERED WITH  THE  SASH  ? 

This  is  often  a  source  of  anxiety  to  beginners.  Much 
depends  on  the  condition  of  the  plants  ;  it  sometimes 
happens  that  after  the  transplanting  is  finished  to  Octo- 
ber (we  usually  begin  the  transplanting  in  the  frames 
about  the  15th),  that  we  have  a  continuation  of  com- 


150  GARDENING   FOB  PROFIT. 

paratively  warm  weather,  which  induces  a  quick  and 
soft  growth  in  the  plants,  which,  of  course,  renders  them 
very  susceptible  to  injury  from  frost.  When  in  that 
condition  we  have  seen  them  injured  when  the  thermo- 
meter only  marked  twenty-seven  above  zero,  or  but  five 
degrees  of  frost ;  while  if  gradually  hardened  by  being 
exposed  to  chilly  nights,  they  would  receive  no  injury, 
even  when  the  thermometer  marks  ten  or  twelve  above 
zero.  This  will  be  well  understood  when  we  remember 
that  in  midwinter,  when  covered  with  sash  alone,  they 
sustain  a  cold  often  for  days  together  of  ten  degrees 
beloiv  zero,  but  then  of  course  they  have  been  gradually 
inured  to  it.  In  sections  of  the  country  where  the  ther- 
mometer falls  to  fifteen  or  twenty  degrees  below  zero,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  use  straw  mats  or  shutters  over  the 
glass.  At  all  times  from  the  time  of  putting  sashes  on 
in  fall  until  taking  them  off  in  spring  (which  is  usually 
from  March  15th  to  April  1st),  abundant  ventilation 
should  be  given,  so  as  to  render  them  as  hardy  as  pos- 
sible. The  sure  indication  that  they  are  in  the  "frost 
proof  "  condition  is,  when  the  leaves  show  a  bluish  color, 
which  they  get  when  they  have  been  gradually  hardened 
off.  Although  the  most  of  the  Jersey  market  gardeners 
still  use  the  cold  frames  for  growing  the  bulk  of  their 
early  Cabbage  crop,  of  late  years  the  system  of  spring 
sowing  and  transplanting,  and  sometimes  even  without 
transplanting,  is  also  used  to  a  considerable  extent.  For 
full  instructions,  on  this  point,  see  page  51,  "Spring 
Raising  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce." 

In  the  latitude  of  New  York,  Cabbage  planting  is 
usually  begun  about  the  25th  of  March  and  finished  by 
middle  of  April.  It  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that 
Cabbage,  being  a  very  hardy  plant,  when  wanted  for  an 
early  crop,  its  setting  out  in  spring  should  be  done  in 
any  section  as  soon  as  the  land  is  dry  enough  to  work. 
As  a  guide,  we  may  say  that  whenever  spring  crops  of 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   AND   CAULIFLOWER.        151 

Rye,  Wheat  or  Oats  can  be  sown,  Cabbage  may  safely 
be  planted  in  the  open  field,  for  if  plants  have  been 
properly  hardened  they  will  not  be  injured  after  being 
planted  out  even  by  eight  or  ten  degrees  of  frost. 

The  conditions  in  the  different  Southern  States  are 
so  varied  that  it  is  not  easy  to  give  directions.  It  may 
be  taken,  however,  as  a  general  rule  that  in  any  section 
of  the  country  where  the  thermometer  does  not  fall 
lower  that  fifteen  above  zero,  the  seed  for  Cabbage  plants 
should  be  sown  about  October  1st,  left  (without  cover- 
ing) in  the  seed-beds  all  winter,  and  transplanted  to  the 
open  ground  as  soon  as  it  is  fit  to  work  in  spring, 
say  January  or  February.  In  sections  where  the  fall 
weather  continues  fine  into  November,  transplanting  is 
done  in  that  month  to  where  the  crop  is  to  mature.  Great 
loss  is  often  occasioned  in  mild  seasons  in  the  Southern 
States,  by  Cabbages,  particularly  the  favorite  variety — 
"  Early  Summer  " — running  to  seed.  As  a  remedy  against 
this  danger  I  would  advise  sowing  from  two  to  four  weeks 
later  than  the  usual  time,  in  such  a  way  as  they  could  be 
covered  in  cold  nights  only  with  muslin,  or,  what  is  better, 
the  new  protecting  cloth  ;  these  will  answer  all  the  pur- 
poses of  sashes  at  one-tenth  of  their  cost.  I  refer  to 
this  cloth  more  fully  in  another  portion  of  this  work. 

After  planting  in  the  field,  no  crop  takes  so  kindly  to 
hoeing  or  cultivating  as  the  Cabbage,  In  ten  days  after 
the  planting  is  finished,  cultivation  should  begin.  If  the 
Cabbages  have  been  set  two  or  two  and  a  half  feet  apart 
each  way,  then  the  horse  cultivator  is  the  best  pulver- 
izer, but  if  a  crop  has  been  sown  or  planted  between  the 
rows  of  Cabbage,  then  a  hand  or  wheel  hoe  can  only  be 
used — we  ourselves  now  use  the  Planet  Jr.  Wheel  Hoe 
exclusively,  and  find  it  a  saving  of  three-fourths  in  labor, 
with  the  work  better  done. 

The  price  at  which  early  Cabbage  is  now  sold  varies  so 
much  at  different  dates,  and  in  different  parts  of  the 


162  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

country,  that  it  is  impossible  to  give  anything  like  accu- 
rate figures,  the  range  being  all  the  way  from  $2  to  $12 
per  100.  Perhaps  $4  would  be  a  fair  average  for 
"Wakefield"  and  85  for  "Early  Summer,"  so  that 
counting  11,000  as  the  average  per  acre  of  the  former 
and  9,000  of  the  latter,  we  have  respectively  $440  per 
acre  for  "Wakefield"  and  $450  for  "Early  Summer." 
These  are  the  wholesale  prices  for  large  markets  like 
New  York.  In  smaller  cities,  where  the  product  is  sold 
direct  to  the  consumer,  one-third  more  would  likely  be 
obtained. 

LATE    CABBAGES 

are  such  as  mature  during  the  months  of  September, 
October  and  November,  the  seed  for  which  is  sown  in 
open  ground  in  May  or  June.  Perhaps  the  best  date  for 
sowing  for  main  crop  is  about  the  1st  of  June.  We  al- 
ways prefer  to  sow  Cabbage  seed  for  this  purpose  in 
rows  ten  or  twelve  inches  apart,  treading  in  the  seed 
with  the  feet,  after  sowing  and  before  covering  ;  we  then 
level  with  a  rake  lengthwise  with  the  rows  and  roll  or 
beat  down  with  the  back  of  a  spade,  so  as  to  exclude 
the  air  from  the  soil  and  from  the  seed.  Sown  in  this 
way,  Cabbage  seed  will  come  up  strongly  in  the  driest 
weather,  and  is  less  likely  to  be  afflicted  with  the  black 
flea  than  if  it  made  a  feeble  growth.  When  the  plants 
get  too  tall,  mow  two  or  three  inches  off  the  tops,  which 
will  make  them  stouter  and  stronger  rooted.  As  the 
ground  used  for  late  Cabbage  only  yields  one  crop,  unless 
manure  is  cheap  and  abundant,  it  will  not  often  pay  to 
use  it  in  the  profusion  required  for  early  Cabbages, 
so  that  it  is  usual  to  manure  in  the  hill,  as  is  done  for 
early  crops,  if  with  stable  manure,  but  when  that  is  not 
attainable,  some  concentrated  fertilizer,  such  as  bone  dust 
or  guano  should  be  used,  giving  a  good  handful  for  each 
hill,  but  being  careful,  of  course,  to  mix  it  well  with  the 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   AND   CAULIFLOWER.        153 

soil  for  about  nine  or  ten  inches  deep  and  wide.  In  this 
way  about  300  pounds  per  acre  will  be  needed,  when 
6,000  or  7,000  plants  are  set  on  an  acre.  In  our  prac- 
tice we  find  nothing  better  than  pure  bone  dust  and 
guano  mixed  together. 

In  transplanting  Cabbages  from  the  seed-bed  to  the 
open  field  in  summer,  the  work  is  usually  done  in  a  dry 
and  hot  season — end  of  June  or  July — and  here  again 
we  give  our  oft-repeated  warning  of  the  absolute  neces- 
sity of  having  every  plant  properly  firmed.  If  the  plant- 
ing is  well  done  with  the  dibber,  it  may  be  enough,  but 
it  is  often  not  well  done,  and  as  a  measure  of  safety,  it  is 
always  best  to  turn  back  on  the  rows  after  planting  and 
press  alongside  of  each  plant  with  the  foot.  This  is 
quickly  done,  and  it  besides  rests  the  planter,  so  that  he 
can  start  on  the  next  row  with  greater  vigor.  In  some 
sections  of  the  country,  particularly  in  the  New  England 
States,  six  or  eight  Cabbage  seeds  are  planted  in  the 
hills,  and  when  of  the  height  of  two  or  three  inches,  are 
thinned  out  to  one  plant  in  each  hill.  This  we  think 
not  only  a  slower  method,  but  is  otherwise  objectionable, 
inasmuch  as  it  compels  the  manure  to  be  placed  for  three 
or  four  weeks  in  the  ground  before  the  plant  can  take 
it  up,  to  say  nothing  of  the  three  or  four  weeks'  culture 
necessary  to  be  done  before  the  seedlings  in  the  hill  get 
to  the  size  of  the  plants  when  set  cnit.  The  cultivation 
of  late  Cabbage  is,  in  all  respects,  similar  to  that  of  early, 
except  as  it  is  usually  planted  alone  ;  the  work  of  cultiva- 
tion is  done  entirely  by  the  horse  cultivator,  the  rows  and 
plants  in  the  rows  being,  according  to  the  kind,  from 
twenty-four  to  thirty  inches  apart.  There  are  a  great 
number  of  kinds  offered  in  the  different  seed  lists,  but 
experienced  cultivators  confine  themselves  to  but  very  few 
kinds.  These  we  give  in  the  order  in  which  they  are 
most  approved  :  "  Henderson's  Selected  Flat  Dutch," 
"American  Drumhead/'  and  "  Marblehead  Mammoth." 


154  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

Iii  addition  to  these,  the  "American  Drumhead  Savoy'5 
is  grown  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  it  is  really  surprising 
that  it  is  not  grown  to  the  exclusion  of  nearly  all  other 
sorts,  as  it  attains  to  nearly  as  much  weight  of  crop,  is 
much  more  tender,  and  finer  in  flavor.  The  "Green 
Scotch  "  and  "  Brown  German  Kalo"  belong  to  the  Cab- 
bage family,  but  do  not  form  heads.  The  curled  leaves 
of  the  whole  plant  can  be  used,  and  are,  lilio  the 
"  Savoy,"  much  finer  in  flavor  than  the  plain  headed  cab- 
bages, particularly  after  having  been  subjected  to  frost. 

KEEPING  CABBAGES  IN  WINTER. 

It  is  best  to  leave  late  Cabbages  out  as  late  as  possible, 
provided  they  can  be  lifted  before  being  frozen  in.  In  this 
latitude  they  can  be  safely  left  out  until  the  third  week 
in  November.  They  are  then  dug  or  pulled 'up,  accord- 
ing to  the  nature  of  the  soil,  and  turned  upside  down— 
the  roots  up,  the  heads  down — just  where  they  have  been 
growing,  and  the  heads  placed  closely  together  in  beds, 
six  or  eight  feet  wide,  with  alleys  of  about  same  width 
between,  care  being  taken  to  have  the  ground  leveled,  so 
that  the  Cabbages  will  set  evenly  together.  They  can  be 
left  in  this  way  for  three  or  four  weeks,  or  as  long  as  the 
ground  remains  so  that  it  can  be  dug  in  the  alleys 
between  the  beds,  the  soil  from  which  is  thrown  in  on 
the  beds  of  Cabbage,  so  that  when  finished  they  have  a 
covering  of  six  or  seven  inches  of  soil,  or  sufficient  to 
cover  up  the  roots  completely.  Sometimes  they  are  cov- 
ered up  immediately  on  being  lifted,  by  plowing  a  fur- 
row, shoveling  it  out  wide  enough  to  receive  the  heads, 
then  plowing,  so  as  to  cover  up,  and  so  on  till  beds  six 
or  eight  feet  wide  are  thus  formed.  This  plan  is  the 
quickest,  but  it  has  the  disadvantage,  if  the  season  proves 
mild,  of  having  the  Cabbages  covered  up  by  the  soil  too 
soon,  and  hence  more  danger  of  decay.  After  the  ground 
is  frozen,  stable  litter,  straw  or  leaves,  to  the  depth  01 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   AND   CAULIFLOWER.        155 

three  or  four  inches,  should  be  thrown  over  the  Cabbage 
beds,  so  as  to  prevent  excessive  freezing,  and  to  facilitate 
the  getting  at  the  Cabbages  in  hard  weather. 

INSECTS   ATTACKING   THE   CABBAGE. 

The  insects  that  attack  the  Cabbage  tribe  are  various, 
and  for  some  of  them  we  regret  to  say  that  we  are  almost 
helpless  in  arresting  their  ravages.  Young  Cabbage 
plants  in  fall  or  in  hot-beds  in  spring,  are  often  troubled 
with  the  Aphis,  or,  as  it  is  popularly  known,  the  "  Green 
fly,"  or  "Green  louse."  This  is  easily  destroyed  by  hav- 
ing the  plants  dusted  over  once  or  twice  with  tobacco 
dust.  This  same  insect,  of  a  blue  color,  is  often  disas- 
trous to  the  growing  crop  in  the  field,  and,  on  its  first 
appearance,  tobacco  dust  should  be  applied,  as,  of  course, 
if  the  Cabbage  is  headed  up,  it  could  not  be  used  ;  hence, 
it  is  always  best  to  apply  it  as  a  preventive  remedy. 

Another  insect  which  attacks  them  in  these  stages  is  a 
species  of  slug,  or  small  caterpillar — a  green,  glutinous 
insect,  about  one-fourth  or  one-half  an  inch  in  length. 
This  is  not  quite  so  easily  destroyed  as  the  other,  but  will 
succumb  to  a  mixture  of  one  part  white  hellebore  to 
four  parts  lime  dust,  sprinkled  on  thick  enough  as  to 
slightly  whiten  the  plants. 

This  same  remedy  we  have  found  to  be  the  most  effica- 
cious in  preventing  the  ravages  of  the  "  Black  Flea,"  or 
"Jumping  Jack,"  that  is  often  so  destructive  to  Cabbage 
plants  sown  or  planted  in  open  ground  during  May  and 
June,  but  in  this  case  ics  application  may  have  to  be 
repeated  daily  often  for  two  weeks. 

Another  most  troublesome  insect  is  the  Cabbage  cater- 
pillar, which  often  attacks  the  crop  when  just  beginning 
to  head.  This  is  the  larva  of  a  species  of  small  white 
butterfly,  which  deposits  its  eggs  on  the  crop  in  May  or 
June.  When  fields  of  Cabbage  are  isolated,  or  where 
neighbors  can  be  found  to  act  in  unison,  the  best  plan  is 


15G  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

to  catch  the  butterflies  with  an  insect-catching  net  as 
soon  as  they  show  themselves.  This  is  the  most  effective 
and  quickest  way  to  get  rid  of  them.  However,  if  that 
has  been  neglected,  the  caterpillar  can  be  destroyed  by 
dusting  white  hellebore  on  the  Cabbages,  but,  of  course, 
this  cannot  be  done  when  the  heads  are  matured  enough 
to  be  ready  to  use,  as  the  hellebore  is  to  some  extent  poi- 
sonous, though  if  used  when  the  plants  are  about  half 
grown,  it  will  do  no  harm,  as  the  rains  will  have  washed 
it  off  sufficiently  by  the  time  they  head  up.  The  insects 
here  described  are  not,  probably,  all  that  afflict  the  Cab- 
bage crop.  A  letter  just  received  from  a  gentleman  in 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  says  that  the  young  Cabbage 
plants  in  that  region  are  often  swept  off  in  twenty-four 
hours  by  a  small  green  worm — a  species  of  slug  or  cater- 
pillar, no  doubt.  The  remedy  for  all  such  is  white  helle- 
bore powder,  which  had  better  be  dusted  on  the  plants 
once  a  week,  as  a  preventive,  before  the  insect  makes  its 
appearance.  In  fact,  all  remedies  against  insects  are  best 
used  as  preventives,  or,  at  least,  on  their  first  appearance. 

But  the  insect  enemies  that  attack  the  roots  of  the 
Cabbage  are  not  so  easy  to  destroy.  In  fact,  with  the 
Wire  Worm  and  Callage  Maggot  we  are  almost  helpless,  as 
far  as  my  experience  has  gone.  For  the  latter,  which  is 
the  worst  enemy,  a  remedy  has  recently  been  recom- 
mended to  me  which  as  yet  I  have  not  tested.  It  is  to 
make  a  hole  with  the  dibber  five  or  six  inches  deep,  close 
to  each  root,  and  drop  into  it  nine  or  ten  drops  of  bi- 
sulphide of  carbon,  closing  up  the  hole  again. 

Last  year  the  Cabbage  and  Cauliflower  in  our  "trial 
grounds  "  were  attacked  by  the  Cabbage  maggot  at  the 
roots  early  in  May.  A  small  handful  of  Peruvian  guano 
was  at  once  strewn  around  each  plant  and  hoed  in  around 
the  roots ;  this  at  once  started  an  unusual  vigor  of 
growth,  which  sustained  the  plants  until  they  matured 
excellent  heads.  Understand,  the  guano  did  not  injure 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   AXD    TAULIFLOWER.        157 

the  insect;  it  only  enabled  the  Cabbage  to  outgrow  its 
attack. 

This  season  (1886),  after  plowing  our  Cabbage 
ground,  we  gave  it  a  heavy  dressing  of  lime,  thick 
enough  to  almost  completely  whiten  the  ground.  This 
was  thoroughly  harrowed  in,  and  to  further  help  against 
the  attack  of  the  maggot,  after  the  plants  had  been  set 
out  three  or  four  weeks,  we  removed  the  earth  around 
the  stem,  and  again  sprinkled  a  little  lime  around  it. 
This  has  completely  stopped  the  attack  of  the  maggots, 
for,  in  a  portion  of  a  neighbor's  field  adjoining,  the  mag- 
gots have  nearly  destroyed  the  crop. 

But  one  of  the  best  preventives  against  the  maggot  is 
to  plant  early,  so  that  the  plants  get  strong  enough  to 
overcome  their  attack.  Our  market  gardeners  here 
rarely  have  trouble  with  their  main  early  crops,  which 
are  planted  last  of  March  or  first  week  in  April.  In  our 
own  trial  grounds,  having  to  wait  until  our  samples  come 
in,  we  do  not  get  our  seeds  of  early  Cabbage  and  Cauli- 
flower sown  until  first  week  in  March,  which  is  a  month 
too  late,  hence  the  liability  of  the  too  tender  plants  to  the 
attack  of  the  maggot.  One  of  the  most  common  mis- 
takes of  the  inexperienced  market  gardener  is,  to  delay 
the  planting  of  early  Cabbage  too  late.  Many  of  them  in 
this  latitude  delay  planting  until  May,  which,  if  the 
ground  is  dry  enough  to  work,  had  far  better  be  done  in 
April. 

For  the  destruction  of  the  insect  which  causes  the 
excrescence  known  as  "club  root"  in  Cabbage,  a  heavy 
dressing  of  lime  in  fall  and  spring  will  check  it  to  a  great 
extent.  In  fact,  on  lands  adjacent  to  the  shores  of  New 
York  Bay,  where  the  soil  is  mixed  with  oyster  shells, 
"club  root"  is  rarely  seen,  Cabbage  having  been  grown 
on  some  fields,  successively,  for  fifty  years,  without  a  trace 
of  it  being  seen,  showing  that  the  insect  which  causes  the 
"club  root"  cannot  exist  in  contact  with  lime  ;  for  it  is 


158  GARDENING   FOE  PBOFIT. 

found  on  lands  where  there  is  no  oyster  shell  deposit,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  where  Cabbages  cannot  be  grown 
two  years  in  succession  on  the  same  land,  unless  heavily 
dressed  with  lime,  and  even  then,  it  is  always  deemed 
safest  never  to  plant  Cabbages  two  years  in  succession  on 
the  same  ground  ;  for,  while  such  crops  as  onions  show 
but  little  benefit  by  rotation  with  other  crops,  Cabbages 
perhaps  more  than  anything  else,  are  benefited  by  such 
alternation,  and  when  it  can  be  done,  nothing  is  better 
than  to  let  the  Cabbage  crop  be  alternated  with  a  green 
crop,  such  as  German  Millet,  Timothy  or  Clover,  or 
else  a  crop  of  Oats  or  Eye. 

This  is  the  method  pursued  by  many  of  the  Long 
Island  market  gardeners,  who  grow  for  the  New  York 
market,  where  their  lands  are  cheap  enough  to  allow 
them  to  do  so.  But  the  gardeners  of  Hudson  County, 
New  Jersey,  which  is  in  sight  of  New  York  City,  whose 
lands  now  are  limited  in  area,  and  for  which  an  average 
of  150  per  acre  rent  is  paid  per  annum,  cannot  well 
afford  to  let  their  lands  lay  thus  comparatively  idle,  and, 
in  consequence,  do  not  now  raise  as  fine  crops  as  the  lands 
thus  "rested"  by  the  grass  or  grain  crops. 

If  the  land  for  the  Cabbage  crop  is  of  a  kind  suitable 
to  grow  a  good  crop  of  Corn  or  Potatoes,  and  is  tilled  or 
fertilized  in  the  manner  advised,  it  is  rare  indeed  that  a 
crop  will  fail  to  head,  if  the  plants  are  in  good  condition 
and  have  been  properly  planted,  unless  they  are  attacked 
by  the  maggot  or  "club  root."  In  our  trial  ground, 
where  over  a  hundred  different  sorts  of  Cabbage  are 
tested  each  year,  we  have  found  that  every  kind  of  Cab- 
bage tested,  early  or  late,  has  produced  solid  heads, 
showing  that  when  the  conditions  are  right,  all  kinds  of 
Cabbages  will  head  up  and  produce  a  crop,  though,  of 
course,  some  are  earlier,  larger  and  heavier  than  others 
— hence,  the  value  of  known  selected  kinds. 

A  circumstance  came  under  our  notice  in  the  summer 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   A^D    CAULIFLOWER.        159 

of  1882,  which  well  illustrates  the  necessity  for  care  in 
planting.  We  had  sold,  some  time  in  February,  a  large  lot 
of  our  "Early  Summer"  Cabbage  seed  to  two  market 
gardeners  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  The  orders  were  filled  from 
the  same  bag  of  seed.  Some  time  about  the  end  of  June  one 
of  the  market  gardeners  wrote,  saying  that  he  had  evi- 
dently got  some  spurious  kind  of  Cabbage  from  us,  as  his 
neighbor  was  marketing  his  crop,  while  in  his  own  field 
of  ten  acres,  he  had  not  a  head  fit  to  cut,  nor  was  there 
any  appearance  of  their  ever  being  so,  he  thought.  Inves- 
tigation showed  that  no  Maggot,  "club  root,"  or  other 
insect  was  affecting  the  roots  ;  the  land  was  nearly  iden- 
tical with  that  which  had  made  a  successful  crop,  and 
had  been  equally  well  manured  and  cultivated.  So  the 
only  probable  solution  of  the  matter  was,  that  the  plants 
in  the  case  of  failure  had  been  loosely  planted  and  had 
failed  to  make  a  prompt  start,  as  in  the  other  case 
where  the  planting  had  been  properly  done,  so  that  while 
the  one  lot  advanced  without  a  check,  the  growth  of  the 
other  lot  was  arrested.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  case, 
for  there  could  be  no  cause  for  the  difference  unless  on 
some  such  hypothesis.  But  there  was  a  fortunate  sequel, 
to  the  case.  It  luckily  happened  that  a  heavy  rainstorm 
occurred  while  the  Cabbages  were  yet  in  this  unheaded 
condition.  This  started,  as  it  were,  a  second  growth, 
which  resulted m  their  forming  splendid  heads  by  August 
1st,  at  a  time  when  Cabbages  were  scarce,  which, 
luckily  for  the  owner,  brought  a  much  higher  price  than 
if  they  had  matured  at  the  proper  season  in  June  or  July. 
The  result  was  fortunate  for  us  who  had  sold  the  seed, 
for  had  it  not  rained  so  opportunely,  the  crop  might 
never  have  headed  up,  and  it  would  then  have  been  hard 
to  convince  the  man  that  he  had  not  been  furnished 
with  a  spurious  kind  of  seed.  What  has  been  advised  for 
Cabbage  crops,  either  early  or  late,  is  exactly  the  culture 
necessary  for  a  crop  of  Cauliflower,  except  that  Cauli- 


160  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

flower,  being  a  plant  of  more  delicate  constitution,  it  re- 
quires to  be  more  carefully  handled  ;  for,  where  the 
Cabbifge  plants  in  the  cold  frames  will  safely  keep  over 
winter  in  this  latitude  with  no  covering  but  the  glass 
sash,  Cauliflower  plants  require  the  use  of  straw  mats 
over  the  sashes,  as  the  plant  is  much  more  easily  hurt  by 
frost.  In  fact,  in  our  increased  experience,  we  find  that 
it  is  better  not  to  keep  the  plants  through  the  winter ; 
those  sown  in  February  and  transplanted  into  cold  frames 
in  March,  and  planted  in  the  open  ground  in  April,  as 
recommended  in  the  Chapter  headed  ''Spring  liaising 
of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce/'  doing  rather 
better  and  costing  much  less  in  labor.  The  plants, 
however,  must  be  started  early  enough,  so  that 
they  can  be  set  out  not  later  than  middle  of  April, 
for  if  not  rooted  well  before  warm  weather  sets  in,  they 
will  either  " button" — that  is,  form  small  stunted 
flowers — Or  else  fail  entirely  to  head  up.  Cauliflower 
delights  in  a  cool  atmosphere,  and  never  does  well 
when  the  season  is  hot  and  dry,  unless  complete  irriga- 
tion can  be  given  when  the  plant  is  about  half  grown. 
If  this  can  be  done  the  crop  is  certain.  We  ourselves 
grew  in  this  manner  nearly  an  acre  for  many  years,  the 
crop  selling  for  an  average  of  $1,200  per  acre  annually, 
and  that  was  before  we  had  introduced  the  now  famous 
variety  known  as  "  Henderson's  Early  Snowball,"  which 
is  ahead  of  all  other  kinds  in  its  certainty  to  make  a 
crop.  The  next  in  succession  to  this,  is  the  "Early 
Erfurt,"  which  is  again  succeeded  by  the  "  Early  Paris," 
but  neither  of  these  in  any  respect  is  equal  to  the 
"Snowball."  For  late  crop,  the  varieties  known  as 
"Algiers"  and  "Erfurt"  are  the  kinds  usually  grown. 
The  plants  are  obtained  by  sowing  at  the  same  dates  as 
for  late  Cabbages.  It  is  planted  three  feet  each  wray  and 
cultivated  exactly  as  late  Cabbages  and  often  sells  as  high 
as  $25  per  100  in  iNovember  and  December.  We  are  of 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE   AND   CAULIFLOWEK.        161 

the  opinion,  however,  that  the  "  Snowball,"  of  which 
twice  the  number  can  be  grown  per  acre,  will  prove  a 
more  profitable  crop  even  for  late,  than  the  "  Algiers,"  as 
it  is  assuredly  more  certain  to  form  heads.  It  is  not 
once  in  twenty  years  that  a  variety  of  vegetables  or 
fruit  makes  such  an  advance  in  earliness  and  quality  as 
this  " Snowball"  Cauliflower,  and  we  have  much  satis- 
faction in  the  knowledge  that  we  were  the  first  to  bring 
it  into  cultivation  about  five  years  ago.  It  is  now 
grown  to  almost  the  entire  exclusion  of  all  other  early 
kinds  of  Cauliflower  in  this  country,  and  hundreds  have 
succeeded,  both  North  and  South,  in  raising  a  crop  from 
this  variety,  who  had  previously  completely  failed  with 
all  other  kinds.  In  Cauliflowers,  as  in  Cabbages,  it  is 
folly  to  attempt  the  experiment  of  many  kinds.  Long 
experience  has  taught  us  that  two  or  three  of  each  for 
early  and  second  early  is  all  sufficient.  Although  our 
seed  catalogues  enumerate  scores  of  kinds,  gardeners  who 
know  what  they  are  about,  fight  shy  of  all  except  those 
whose  merit  has  been  proved  beyond  any  question  of  a 
doubt.  For  this  reason  we  only  give  the  names  of  such 
as  we  know  to  be  the  best. 

As  yet  nearly  all  Cauliflower  seed  is  imported,  as  we 
have  not  yet  been  successful  in  raising  it  here  so  as  to 
give  satisfactory  results,  our  climate  seeming  to  be  un- 
suited  for  the  growth  of  the  seed.  .But  Cabbage  seed  is 
almost  exclusively  grown  here.  Though  the  imported 
seed  costs  less  than  half  the  price,  we  rarely  have  found 
it  safe  enough  to  risk  it  for  market  garden  crops  ;  the 
American  grown  Cabbage  seeds  should  be  exclusively 
used. 


162  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

VARIETIES  OF  CABBAGE -EARLY. 

Early  Jersey  Wakefield, — The  first  notoriety  that  this 
variety  attained  was  when  we  first  wrote  "  Gardening  for 
Profit."  That  was  nearly  twenty  years  ago,  and  since 
then  it  has  deservedly  taken  the-  first  place  as  an  early 
market  variety.  To  most  growers  the  merits  and  char- 
acteristics of  the  variety  are  so  well  known  as  to  hardly 
need  repeating  here,  but  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  muy 
not  be  familiar  with  it,  we  would  say  that  it  is  univers- 


i.  25.—  EARLY  JERSEY  WAKEFIELD  CABBAGE. 


ally  considered  the  best  early  Cabbage  in  cultivation. 
Among  its  merits  may  be  mentioned  its  large  size  of  head, 
small  outside  foliage,  and  its  uniformity  in  producing  a 
crop.  The  heads  are  pyramidal  in  shape,  having  a 
blunted  or  rounded  peak. 

A  few  years  after  the  introduction  of  the  Wakefield 
Cabbage,  we  found  that  it  broke  into  over  a  dozen  sub- 
varieties,  of  varying  size  of  leaf  and  shape  of  head,  and, 
worse  than  all,  of  varying  earliness.  No  matter  how 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE.  163 

carefully  we  selected  the  heads  that  we  used  for  seed,  the 
same  difficulty  occurred.  A  few  miles  inland,  some- 
where near  the  Orange  Mountain,  New  Jersey,  we  found 
that  an  old  German  was  always  ahead  of  us  in  having  the 
first  Wakefields  in  New  York  market,  and  these,  too,  of 
a  uniformity  in  shape  that  none  of  us  nearer  the  city 
could  produce.  All  inducements  to  get  him  to  sell  seed 
were  disregarded,  and  year  after  year  he  kept  the  lead. 
Several  plans  were  laid  to  circumvent  him,  such  as  order- 
ing a  hundred  of  his  Cabbages  with  roots  on.  But  old 
Carl  was  not  to  be  caught  so.  He  filled  the  order  to  the 
letter,  making  the  buyer  pay  roundly  for  the  roots,  but 
took  the  liberty  of  first  dipping  them  in  boiling  water  ! 
But  one  day  he  invited  a  friend  and  countryman  to  see 
his  wonderful  Cabbages  as  they  grew.  This  was  a  fatal 
day  for  Carl's  monopoly,  for  his  friend  had  his  eyes  about 
him,  and  observed  that  several  of  the  stumps  from  which 
the  earliest  heads  had  been  cut,  were  marked  with  a 
stake,  as  were  a  few  of  the  choicest  shape,  as  yet  uncut. 
The  secret  was  out.  Carl's  success  had  been  gained  by 
persistently,  year  after  year,  selecting  the  earliest  and 
finest  heads ;  taking  up  the  stumps  from  which  they 
were  cut,  he  planted  them  carefully,  and,  removing  the 
young  shoots  produced  from  the  stumps,  he  treated  them 
exactly  as  we  treat  cuttings  of  a  flower;  that  is,  by  plant- 
ing the  slip  in  the  soil,  watering  it  freely,  and  shading  it 
until  it  rooted.  After  these  cuttings  or  shoots  of  the 
Cabbage  were  rooted,  they  were  planted  in  the  usual  Cab- 
bage-frame, covered  with  glass  in  winter,  set  out  in 
spring,  like  a  plant  from  the  seed,  and  next  July  ripened 
seed.  This  process  is  too  expensive  and  slow  to  follow 
for  raising  Cabbage  seed  in  quantity,  but  it  is  now  used 
by  careful  growers  to  produce  pure  and  improved  stock 
from  which  to  raise  seed. 


164 


GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 


Henderson's  Early  Summer, — This  peerless  variety 
originated  with  Mr.  Abraham  Van  Si-cklen,  of  Jamaica, 
Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  (to  whom  I  paid  $600  for  twenty 
pounds  of  the  seed),  but  was  named  and  first  introduced 
by  me  in  1874.  The  Early  Summer  heads  about  ten 
days  later  than  the  Jersey  Wakefield,  but  being  of  over 
double  the  size,  it  may  be  classed  as  the  best  large  early 
Cabbage.  In  weight  it  is  equal  to  most  of  the  late  vari- 


Fig.  26. — HENDERSON'S  EARLY  SUMMER  CABBAGE. 

eties,  and  its  short  outer  leaves  enable  it  to  be  planted  as 
close  as  the  Wakefield,  or  at  the  rate  of  about  10,000  to 
12,000  to  the  acre,  while  the  Early  Flat  Dutch,  Win- 
ningstadt,  etc.,  producing  no  larger  heads,  can  only  be 
grown  at  the  rate  of  8,000  to  the  acre.  It  is  equally 
valuable  to  use  as  a  late  sort,  as,  when  sown  and  planted 
at  the  proper  time  for  late  Cabbage  to  be  used  in  winter, 
we  consider  it  has  110  superior. 

Premier, — A  variety  of    quite  recent    introduction, 
exceedingly  early,  and  much  valued  as  a  market  sort. 


VEGETABLES — CABBAGE.  165 

The  heads  are  somewhat  smaller  than  the  Wakefield,  but, 
as  it  forms  very  small  outer  leaves,  it  can  be  planted  one- 
third  closer — fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  apart  each  way, 
or  from  14,000  to  16,000  to  the  acre. 

Early  Winningstadt. — This  is  really  a  second  early 
variety,  coming  in  about  three  weeks  later  than  any  of 
the  above.  It  is  an  excellent  sort,  however,  where  first 
earliness  is  not  the  object,  as  it  heads  uniformly  and  is  of 
large  size,  often  weighing  twenty  pounds.  It  is  a  dis- 
tinct variety;  head  pyramidal,  the  outer  leaves  spiral  and 
spreading.  It  requires  to  be  planted  wider  than  the 
early  sorts.  For  this  reason,  together  with  its  compara- 
tive lateness,  it  is  not  a  favorite  in  gardens  where  two 
crops  are  grown  in  one  season. 

Early  Flat  Dutch, — A  very  dwarf  variety,  having 
large  round  heads,  almost  flat  on  top.  It  is  a  very  excel- 
lent variety  for  a  succession  crop,  being  two  or  three 
weeks  behind  the  earliest  sorts,  but  is  now  almost  sup- 
planted by  the  Early  Summer. 


CABBAGE.— LATE. 

Selected  Late  Flat  Dutch,— (See  figure  27.)  An 
excellent  standard  variety,  making  large  flat  heads,  very 
solid,  and  an  excellent  keeper  for  late  winter  use.  Al- 
though it  grows  larger  than  the  "  Early  Summer,"  yet  as 
it  has  to  be  planted  one-third  wider  apart,  it  gives  no  more 
weight  per  acre.  It  is  very  largely  grown  as  an  early  fall 
sort.  It  is  very  tender  and  of  excellent  flavor,  and  is 
largely  used  for  Sauer  Kraut. 

Fottler's  Improved  Brunswick, — A  second  early  and 
late  variety,  used  originally  by  the  Boston  gardeners,  but 
which  is  now  cultivated  quite  generally  all  over  the 
country.  It  produces  large  heads  of  excellent  quality. 


1G6  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

Marblehead  Mammoth  Drumhead.  —  Probably  the 
largest  variety  of  Cabbage  in  cultivation,  specimens 
often  growing  to  weigh  sixty  pounds.  In  good  soil  and 
with  proper  culture  it  will  average  thirty  pounds.  The 
heads  are  round  and  somewhat  irregular  in  shape.  It 
should  be  cultivated  with  the  plants  four  feet  apart  each 
way. 

Filder  Kraut,— This  resembles  the  Winningstadt,  but 


Fig.  27. — SELECTED  LATE  FLAT  DUTCH  CABBAGE. 

is  larger  and  more  pointed.    Also  largely  grown  for  Sauer 
Kraut. 

American  Drumhead  Savoy, — This  is  the  largest  of 
the  Savoy  class,  and  is  the  sort  most  generally  cultivated 
for  market.  The  head  is  large,  spherical,  very  solid, 
compact  and  of  a  yellowish-green  color,  and,  like  all  of 
the  Savoy  varieties,  is  of  excellent  flavor,  far  surpassing 
that  of  any  other  late  Cabbage.  Still,  such  is  the  force 
of  habit,  that  the  public  do  not  purchase  one  Savoy  for 
every  thousand  of  the  coarse  Drumhead  Cabbages,  al- 


VEGETABLES — CAULIFLOWER, 


167 


though  the  difference  in  quality  between  the  two  is  as 
great  as  between  the  fox  grape  of  the  woods  and  the 
cultivated   Delaware. 
Grown  in  fall  and  al- 
lowed to  be  touched 
by  frost,  it  is  one  of 
the  most  delicious  of 
all  vegetables.      (See 
figure  28.) 

Red  Dutch,— This 
is  used  almost  exclu- 
sively for  pickling.  It 
is  one  of  the  hardiest 
of  all  Cabbages,  and 
when  preserved  as  di-  Fig>  28. -AMERICAN  DRUMHEAD  SAVOY 
rected  for  the  others.  CABBAGE. 

will  keep  later  in  the 

season  than  any  of  them.    It  is  slow  to  mature,  however, 
and  requires  a  richer  soil  for  its  perfect  development. 

Mammoth  Rock  Red, — A  new  large-growing  selected 
strain  of  the  old  Red  Cabbage,  the  heads  of  which  will 
average  twelve  pounds  each. 


CAULIFLOWER. 

As  the  cultivation  of  Cauliflower  is  almost  identical 
with  that  of  Cabbage,  and  as  these  are  two  of  the  most 
important  of  all  crops  to  the  market  gardener,  very  full 
instructions  are  given  under  "  How  to  grow  Cabbage  and 
Cauliflower,"  on  page  51. 

Henderson's  Early  Snowball, — (See  figure  29).  This 
variety,  introduced  six  years  ago  by  me,  is  now  the  lead- 
ing early  variety.  We  have  found  it  to  be  not  only  the 


168  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

earliest  of  all  Cauliflowers,  but  it  is  more  certain  to  make 
a  Lead  than  any  other  variety  we  have  ever  grown. 
Soion  March  1st  in  our  trial  grounds  in  Jersey  City 
(which,  however,  is  a  month  too  late),  at  the  same  time 
and  under  the  same  conditions  with  other  kinds,  heads 
of  the  Early  Snowball  measuring  nine  inches  in  diameter 
have  been  ready  to  market  by  June  10th,  one  week  before 
any  other  sort.  From  its  dwarf  growth  and  short  outer 
leaves,  this  variety  has  been  found  to  be  peculiarly  well 
adapted  for  forcing  under  glass,  and  for  this  purpose  no 
other  variety  is  now  so  largely  grown.  It  is  also  begin- 
ning to  be  used  for  the  fall  crop  of  Cauliflower,  for  which 


Fig.  29. — HENDERSON'S  EARLY  SNOWBALL  CAULIFLOWER. 

it  is  equally  well  adapted  as  for  the  early  crop.  From 
12,000  to  13,000  are  planted  on  an  acre.  This  variety 
is  a  very  shy  seed-bearer,  and  the  consequent  high  price 
ol  the  seed  has  induced  unprincipled  dealers  in  many 
sections  of  the  country  to  substitute  spurious  sorts.  In 
our  trial  grounds  we  found  that  in  a  test  of  ten  of  these 
samples  purporting  to  be  the  true  *'  Snowball,"  not  one 
was  correct,  and  nearly  all  were  worthless. 


VEGETABLES — CARDOO^.  169 

Extra  Early  Dwarf  Erfurt,— This  fine  sort  is  a  dwarf, 
compact,  growing  kind,  producing  uniformly  large 
heads.  The  leaves  grow  larger  and  not  so  close  as  the 
Snowball,  besides  it  is  not  so  early. 

Extra  Early  Paris, — This  well-known  variety  is 
equally  meritorious  in  all  respects  with  the  Erfurt,  ex- 
cept that  it  requires  more  space  to  grow  in,  as  it  forms 
larger  heads. 

Half  Early  Paris  or  Nonpareil, — A  useful  variety  for 
succession  crop.  The  difficulty  with  Cauliflowers  for 
market  is,  that  the  whole  crop  comes  in  and  must  be  sold 
in  a  space  of  two  or  three  weeks,  unless  we  have  a  suc- 
cession of  varieties. 

Le  Normand's  Short  Stemmed, — A  large  late  variety, 
producing  well-formed  heads  of  excellent  quality. 

Large  Late  Algiers. — An  excellent  late  variety,  now 
coming  into  very  general  favor  on  Long  Island,  New 
York,  and  other  Cauliflower-growing  districts.  Enor- 
mous quantities  of  this  variety  are  annually  grown  for 
market  and  pickling,  with  varying  results,  sometimes 
selling  as  high  as  $25  per  100,  and  again  as  low  as  $3.  It 
is  usually  planted  quite  wide — three  by  three  feet  each 
wav — and  worked  by  horse  cultivation.  It  is  a  good 
plan  to  break  and  turn  down  the  leaves  of  Cauliflower 
over  the  head  as  it  is  developed.  This  not  only  keeps  it 
whiter,  but  prevents  its  spreading. 


CABDOON. — (Cynara  Cardunculus.) 

A  vegetable  that  is  but  little  grown,  and  grown 
oftener  as  a  novelty  than  for  use.  It  belongs  to  the  same 
family  as  the  Artichoke,  which  it  much  resembles.  The 
leaf  stems,  after  blanching,  are  used  in  soups  or  in  sal- 
ads. It  is  cultivated  by  sowing  the  seeds  in  early  spring, 


170  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

thinly,  in  rows  three  feet  apart,  and  thinning  out  to 
eighteen  inches  between  the  plants.  The  plant  attains 
its  growth  in  early  fall,  when  it  is  blanched  by  tying  the 
leaves  together  so  as  to  cause  an  erect  growth,  after 
which  it  is  earthed  up,  and  preserved  exactly  as  we  do 
Celery. 


CARROT. — (Daucus  Carota). 

This  may  be  classed  more  as  a  crop  of  the  farm  than 
of  the  garden,  as  a  far  larger  area  is  grown  for  the  food 
of  horses  and  cattle  than  for  culinary  purposes.  Yet  it 
is  a  salable  vegetable  in  our  markets,  and  by  no  means 
an  unprofitable  one  to  grow  on  lands  not  too  valuable. 
It  is  not  necessary  that  the  land  for  this  crop  should  be 
highly  enriched.  I  have  grown  on  sod  land  (which  had 
been  turned  over  in  fall),  300  barrels  per  acre,  without  a 
particle  of  manure,  and  three  years  after,  and  on  the  same 
land,  which  had  been  brought  up  to  our  market  garden 
standard  of  fertility,  a  very  inferior  crop;  the  land  being 
too  rich,  induced  a  growth  of  tops  rather  than  roots.  In 
our  ma*rket  gardens,  we  sow  in  rows  fourteen  inches 
apart,  thinning  out  to  three  or  four  inches  between  the 
plants  ;  but  on  farm  lanis,  where  space  is  not  so  valuable, 
they  should  be  planted  eighteen  or  twenty-four  inches 
between  the  rows,  and  worked  with  the  cultivator.  For 
early  crops,  we  sow  at  the  beginning  of  our  first  operations 
in  spring,  in  the  same  manner  as  we  sow  Beets,  as  soon 
as  the  ground  is  thoroughly  dry  ;  but  for  later  crops, 
they  may  be  sown  any  time  in  this  latitude  until  the 
middle  of  June.  This  is  one  of  the  vegetables  that 
requires  a  close  watching  to  see  that  it  does  not  get 
enveloped  with  weeds,  as,  in  its  early  stage,  it  is  of  com- 
paratively feeble  growth,  and  unless  it  is  kept  clean  from 
the  start,  it  is  apt  to  be  irrevocably  injured. 


VEGETABLES— CARROT.  171 

The  usually  prescribed  quantity  of  seed  per  acre  is  five 
pounds,  but  I  have  always  considered  it  safer  to  sow 
nearly  double  that  quantity.  In  dry  weather  it  germi- 
nates feebly,  and  not  infrequently,  when  seed  comes  up 
thinly,  it  is  scorched  off  by  the  hot  sun,  and  the  saving 
of  a  few  pounds  of  seed  may  entail  the  loss  of  half  the 
crop.  We  prefer  to  sow  all  such  crops  by  hand,  though 
for  field  culture  on  a  large  scale,  the  seed  drill  should  be 
used.  In  all  cases  tread  in  the  seed — see  "Use  of  the 
Feet  in  Sowing  and  Planting,"  Chapter  12 — to  which, 
even  at  the  risk  of  repetition,  I  again  beg  to  call  atten- 
tion. 

The  Carrot,  like  all  other  root  crops,  delights  in  a 
sandy  loam,  deeply  tilled.  Considerable  quantities  of 
the  early  varieties  are  sold  in  our  markets  in  bunches,  in 
a  half-grown  state,  at  prices  equal  to  early  Beets  sold  in 
the  same  manner.  Sold  in  this  state,  they  are  highly 
profitable  at  the  prices  received,  but  only  limited  quan- 
tities can  be  disposed  of.  In  the  dry  state,  during  fall 
and  winter,  they  range  from  $1.50  to  $2  per  barrel, 
according  to  quality,  and  at  these  prices  will  yield  double 
the  profit  of  Potatoes  as  a  farm  crop. 

The  varietes  in  general  cultivation  are  limited.  The 
favorite  variety  for  all  purposes  is  the 

Early  French  Forcing,— The  earliest  variety,  and  one 
largely  grown  for  forcing  purposes.  It  makes  a  small, 
almost  globe-shaped  root,  of  an  orange-red  color. 

Early  Scarlet  Horn, — An  old  and  favorite  sort  for  an 
early  crop,  but  not  large  enough  to  be  suitable  for  general 
culture.  It  is  one  of  the  varieties  that  is  bunched  and 
sold  in  our  markets  in  a  green  state.  It  matures  eight 
to  ten  days  earlier  than  the  Long  Orange,  and  is  some- 
times used  for  forcing. 

Half  Long:  Red  (Stump  Rooted).— (See  figure  30.)  At 
this  time  this  variety  is  more  largely  grown  for  the  New 


172 


GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 


York  market  than  any  other,  and  is  the  finest  of  the 
early  sorts.  It  is  intermediate  in  size  and  time  of 
maturity  between  the  Early  Scarlet  Horn  and  the  Long 
Orange. 

Early  Half  Long  Scarlet 
(Pointed  Rooted),— The  only 
difference  between  this  and  the 
preceding  variety  is  that  it  has 
a  pointed  instead  of  a  stump 
or  blunt  root. 

Early   Half   Long    Scarlet 
<  arontan, — A  distinct  variety, 
almost    cylindrical,    with    few 
and    very    small    roots.      The 
skin  is  smooth,  flesh  red,  and 
without  any  core  or 
heart.     It  is  excel- 
lent   for    forcing, 
and  for  fine  quality; 
and  perfect   shape 
can  hardly  be  sur- 


a>—HAL» 


Fig.  31.-LONG 

ORANGE  IM 


Long  Orange  Im- 
proved.— (See  fig- 
ure 31.)  This  is 
equally  adapted  for 
market  and  family 
use.  It  is  of  large 

LONG  RED  STUMP-       v/ »«-»»**  *^u - 

size,  lair  specimens  ROOTED  CARROT.  PROVED  CARROT. 
averaging      twelve 

inches  in  length,  with  a  diameter  of  three  inches  at  the 
top;  color,  orange  red,  varying  in  depth  of  shade  in  dif- 
erent  soils. 

Danvers, — (See  figure  32.)     The  color  of  this  valu- 
able sort,  which  is  of  comparatively  recent  introduction, 


VEGETABLES — CHERVIL.  173 

is  a  rich  shade  of  orange.  In  shape  it  is  midway  be- 
tween the  Early  Scarlet  Horn  «md  the  Long  Orange. 
Under  the  best  cultivation,  it  is  said  to  have  yielded 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  tons  of  roots  per  acre. 

Large  White  Belgian. — The  most  productive  of  all 
varieties.  The  root  is  white  ;  that  part  growing  above 
ground,  and  exposed  to  the  air,  green.  It  is  exclusively 
grown  for  stock,  bearing  nearly  twice  as  much  in  weight 
per  acie  as  the  Long  Orange.  Horses  do  not  eat  it  quite 
so  readily,  however,  and'it  is  said  to  be  less  nutritious 
than  the  red  or  orange  sorts. 

Yellow  Belgian. — Similar  to  above  ;  color,  yellow. 


CHERVIL.— TURNIP-BOOTED.— (Cho&rophyllum  bulbosum.) 

A  vegetable  of  recent  introduction,  closely  allied  to 
the  Parsnip,  which  it  resembles  in  shape.  It  is  of  a 
grayish  color ;  the  flesh  is  white  and  mealy,  tasting 
something  like  the  Sweet  Potato.  It  is  equally  as  hardy 
as  the  Parsnip,  and  in  France,  where  it  has  been  culti- 
vated to  a  considerable  extent,  is  said  to  have  yielded  six 
tons  per  acre.  It  is  one  of  the  many  plants  that  were 
experimented  with  in  Europe  as  a  substitute  for  the 
Potato,  when  it  was  feared  that  that  tuber  would  be  lost 
to  us  by  disease.  Its  culture  is  in  all  respects  similar  to 
the  Parsnip  or  Carrot ;  it  is  entirely  hardy  in  any  lati- 
tude, and  is  rather  improved  by  the  action  of  the  frost. 
It  must  be  sown  as  early  in  spring  as  the  soil  is  fit  to 
work,  it  being  slow  to  germinate  if  the  weather  becomes 
hot  and  dry. 


174  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT, 

CELERY.— (Apium  graveolens.) 

I  know  of  no  vegetable  upon  which  so  much  unneces- 
sary labor  is  expended  with  such  unsatisfactory  results  as 
Celerv.  Many  private  cultivators  still  think  ic  necessary 
to  dig  out  trenches,  from  six  to  twelve  inches  deep, 
involving  great  labor  and  expense,  and  giving  a  crop  very 
inferior  to  that  planted  on  the  level  surface,  in  the  man- 
ner practiced  on  hundreds  of  acres  by  the  market  garden- 
ers in  the  vicinity  of  New  York. 

Our  manner  of  treating  the  Celery  crop  is  now  very 
simple.  Instead  of  sowing  the  seed  in  a  hot-bed  or  cold 
frame,  which  is  the  European  plan,  but  not  practicable 
here  (unless  when  on  such  soils  as  the  muck  deposits  at 
Kalamazoo,  Michigan),  owing  to  the  tendency  of  plants 
thus  sown  to  run  to  seed,  the  seed  is  sown  in  the  open 
ground  as  soon  as  that  is  fit  to  work  in  spring — here 
about  first  week  in  April — on  a  level  piece  of  rich  mellow 
soil,  that  has  been  specially  prepared  by  thorough  pul- 
verizing and  mixing  with  short  stable  manure. 

I  have  had  large  experience  in  growing  Celery  plants, 
as  our  demand  for  the  plants  often  reaches  2,000,000 
of  plants  in  a  season,  and  we  never  fail  in  getting  a  crop 
by  rigidly  adhering  to  the  following  simple  method. 

The  bed  being  fined  down  by  raking,  so  that  it  is  clear 
of  stones  and  all  inequalities,  lines  are  drawn  out  by  the 
"  marker"  eight  or  nine  inches  apart,  in  beds  of  eight 
rows  in  each,  rubbing  out  every  ninth  mark  for  an  alley, 
on  which  to  walk  when  weeding,  etc.  The  seed  should 
be  sown  rather  thinly,  one  ounce  being  sufficient  for 
twenty  feet  in  length  of  such  a  bed,  or  about  150  feet  of 
row. 

The  seed  is  sown  by  hand  in  the  rows  :  after  the  sower 
follows  a  man  who  evenly  presses  down  the  seed  in  the 
drill  with  the  feet.  That  done,  the  back  of  a  rake  is 
drawn  lightly  lengthivise  of  the  bed,  which  slightly  cov- 


VEGETABLES— CELERY.  175 

ers  the  seed  to  the  average  depth  of  something  less  than 
half  an  inch.  After  this,  the  bed  is  still  further  firmed 
and  levelled  by  being  rolled,  or  in  small  areas  evenly 
patted  down  with  the  back  of  a  spade. 

As  soon  as  the  seeds  of  Celery  begin  to  germinate,  so 
that  the  rows  can  be  traced,  hoe  lightly  between  the  rows, 
and  begin  to  pnll  out  the  weeds  as  soon  as  they  can  be 
seen.  One  day's  work,  at  the  proper  time,  will  be  better 
than  a  dozen  after  the  seed-bed  gets  enveloped  with 
weeds,  besides  insuring  much  finer  plants. 

As  the  plants  advance  in  growth,  the  tops  are  shorn 
off,  generally  twice  before  the  time  of  setting  out,  so  as 
to  induce  a  stooky  growth  ;  plants  thus,  treated  suffer  less 
on  being  transplanted.  This  plan  of  shearing  off  the 
tops  we  practice  with  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  many 
other  kinds  of  plants  to  induce  stocky  growth. 

The  time  of  planting  out  in  the  Northern  States  may 
run  from  June  15th  to  the  end  of  July,  and  in  the  South- 
ern States  from  August  15th  to  the  end  of  September. 
In  this  section,  we  prefer  to  plant  in  July,  as  there  is  but 
little  gained  by  attempting  it  early.  In  fact,  I  have 
often  seen  plants  raised  in  hot-beds  and  planted  out  in 
June,  far  surpassed  both  in  size  and  quality  by  those 
raised  in  the  open  ground  and  planted  a  month  later. 
The  great  difficulty  experienced  in  the  Southern  States 
is,  in  raising  the  plants  ;  for,  if  sown, in  March  or  April, 
as  we  do  here,  the  high  temperature  and  dry  atmosphere 
either  kill  the  plants  outright,  or  so  shrivel  them  up  that 
they  never  start  to  make  a  free  growth. 

By  sowing  about  the  middle  of  August  in  extreme 
Southern  States,  shading  with  the  protecting  cloth 
sashes,  already  referred  to,  in  hot  days  from  9  A.  M.  to 
4  p.  M.,  and  planting  out  the  end  of  September,  a 
fair  crop  of  Celery  may  be  obtained  in  the  late  fall  and 
early  winter  months.  The  plants  are  sometimes  spe- 
cially grown  at  the  North  for  planting  at  the  South,  but 


176  GAFIDENI^G   FOR   PROFIT. 

in  all  such  cases  they  must  be  plants  grown  from  sowings 
made  in  June  or  July,  for  if  grown  at  the  North  at  the 
usual  season,  they  would  not  answer,  as  they  would 
become  so  large  that  they  would  require  to  be  planted  out 
before  the  end  of  July,  and  in  most  of  the  Southern 
States,  if  planted  then,  they  could  not  stand  the  long- 
continued  high  temperature  and  dry  atmosphere  of 
August  and  September. 

It  is  doubtful  if  this  special  growing  01  plants  is  likely 
to  be  done,  and  our  friends  at  the  South  must  submit  to 
paying  us  for  our  Celery  already  grown,  just  as  we  must 
submit  to  have  the  cream  of  our  profits  taken  off  by  their 
early  supply  of  spring  vegetables.  It  is  a  geographical 
condition  of  culture  that  both  sections  must  accept.  In 
almost  all  the  early  vegetables,  the  first  supplies  come 
from  Southern  gardens,  thus  anticipating  our  crops  by 
some  weeks  ;  while  Celery  is  one  of  the  very  few  things 
with  which  we  can  compete  with  our  Southern  friends  in 
their  own  markets. 

Celery  is  a  plant  requiring  a  cool,  moist  atmosphere, 
and  it  is  nonsense  to  attempt  to  grow  it  early  in  our  hot 
and  dry  climate,  unless  under  climate  and  soil  specially 
adapted,  which  is  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  Horse  Heads,  New  York,  and  some  other 
similar  localities,  where  there  is  a  rich  vegetable  deposit 
on  level  bottom  lands. 

But  even  when  grown,  it  is  not  a  vegetable  that  is  ever 
very  palatable  until  cool  weather.  This  our  market 
experience  well  proves,  for,  although  we  always  have  a 
few  bunches  exposed  for  sale  in  July  and  August,  there 
is  not  one  root  sold  at  that  time  for  a  thousand  that  are 
sold  in  October  and  November, 

Celery  is  always  grown  by  us  as  a  "  second  crop ; " 
that  is,  it  follows  after  the  spring  crop  of  Beets,  Onions, 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  Peas  or  early  Potatoes,  which  are 
cleared  off  and  marketed,  at  latest,  by  the  middle  of  July. 


VEGETABLES — CELERY.  177 

The  ground  is  then  thoroughly  plowed  and  harrowed. 
No  additional  manure  is  used,  as  enough  remains  in 
the  ground  from  the  heavy  coat  it  has  received  in  the 
spring,  to  carry  through  the  crop  of  Celery. 

After  the  ground  has  been  nicely  prepared,  lines  are 
struck  out  on  the  level  surface  three  feet  apart,  and  the 
plants  set  six  inches  apart  in  the  rows.  If  the  weather 
is  dry  at  the  time  of  planting,  great  care  should  be  taken 
that  the  roots  are  properly  "  firmed."  Our  custom  is  to 
turn  back  on  the  row,  and  press  by  the  side  of  each  plant 


Fig.  33. — CELERY  AFTER    "HANDLING." 

gently  with  the  foot.  This  compacts  the  soil  and  par- 
tially excludes  the  air  from  the  root  until  new  rootlets 
are  formed,  which  will  usually  be  in  forty-eight  hours, 
after  which  all  danger  is  over.  This  practice  of  pressing 
the  soil  closely  around  the  roots  is  essential  in  planting 
of  all  kinds,  and  millions  of  plants  are  annually  destroyed 
by  its  omission.  After  the  planting  of  the  Celery  is  com- 
pleted, nothing  further  is  to  be  done  for  six  or  seven 
weeks,  except  running  through  between  the  rows  with 
the  cultivator  or  hoe,  and  freeing  the  plants  of  weeds 
until  they  get  strong  enough  to  crowd  them  down.  This 
will  bring  us  to  about  the  middle  of  August,  by  which 


178 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


time  we  usually  have,  especially  at  night,  that  moist  and 
cool  atmosphere  essential  to  the  growth  of  Celery. 

Then  we  begin  the  "earthing  up"  necessary  for 
blanching  or  whitening  that  which  is  wanted  for  use  dur- 
ing the  months  of  September,  October  arid  November.  The 
first  operation  is  that  of  "  handling,"  as  we  term  it ;  that 
is,  after  the  soil  has  been  drawn  up  against  the  plant  with 
the  hoe,  it  is  further  drawn  close  around  each  plant  by 
the  hand,  firm  enough  to  keep  the  leaves  in  an  upright 


Fig.  34. — CELEBY  EARTHED  TIP. 

position,  and  prevent  them  from  spreading,  which  will 
leave  them  as  shown  in  figure  33. 

This  being  done,  more  soil  is  drawn  against  the  row, 
either  by  the  plow  or  hoe,  as  circumstances  require,  so  as 
to  keep  the  plant  in  this  upright  position.  The  blanch- 
ing process  must,  however,  be  finished  by  the  spade, 
which  is  done  by  digging  the  soil  from  between  the  rows 
and  banking  it  up  clear  to  the  top  on  each  side  of  the 
row  of  Celery,  as  in  figure  34. 

Three  feet  is  ample  distance  between  the  dwarf  vari- 
eties, but  when  "  Seymour's  Superb,"  "  Giant  White 
Solid,"  or  other  large  sorts  are  used,  though  they  are 
now  rarely  grown,  the  width  between  the  rows  must  be 


VEGETABLES — CELERY.  179 

at  least  four  and  a  half  or  five  feet,  which  entails  much 
more  labor  and  loss  of  ground.  For  the  past  fifteen 
years  no  Celery  but  the  dwarf  varieties  is  grown  in  our 
vicinity,  which  saves  in  consequence  at  least  one-half 
in  labor  and  one-third  in 'ground,  while  the  average 
price  per  root  in  market  has  been  always  equal  to,  and 
occasionally  higher,  than  for  the  tall  growing  sorts. 

Nearly  all  market  gardeners  have  at  last  got  their 
eyes  opened  to  the  value  of  the  dwarf  sorts,  and  T  think 
that  a  few  years  more  will  suffice  to  throw  the  large 
and  coarse-flavored  sorts,  such  as  "Seymours  Superb" 
and  "  (liant  White  Solid,"  out  of  our  markets. 

The  preparation  of  the  soil  and  planting  of  Celery  for 
winter  use  is  the  same  in  all  respects,  except  that  what  is 
intended  for  winter  need  never  be  "  banked  up  "  with  the 
spade.  It  merely  requires  to  be  put  through  the  handling 
process  to  bring  it  into  a  compact  and  upright  position 
preparatory  to  being  stowed  away  in  winter  quarters. 
This  should  not  be  done  before  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber, or  just  long  enough  before  the  Celery  is  dug  up  to 
keep  it  in  the  upright  position. 

We  have,  however,  another  method  which  we  have 
found  to  answer  very  well  for  the  late  crop,  and  it  is  one 
by  which  more  roots  can  be  grown  on  the  same  space  and 
with  less  labor  than  by  any  other.  It  is  simply  to  plant 
the  Celery  one  foot  apart,  each  ivay,  nothing  farther  be- 
ing required  after  planting,  except  twice  or  thrice  hoeing 
to  clear  the  crop  of  weeds  until  it  grows  enough  to  cover 
the  ground.  No  handling  or  earthing  up  is  required  by 
this  method,  for,  as  the  plants  struggle  for  light,  they 
naturally  assume  an  upright  position,  the  leaves  all 
assuming  the  perpendicular  instead  of  the  horizontal, 
which  is  the  condition  essential  before  it  is  put  into  win- 
ter quarters.  This  method  is  not  quite  so  general  with 
us  as  planting  in  rows,  and  it  is,  perhaps,  better  adapted 
for  private  gardens  than  for  market.  As  the  plant  is 


180  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

more  excluded  from  the  air,  the  root  hardly  attains  as 
much  thickness  as  by  the  other  plan. 

We  are  often  asked  for  the  cause  of  and  remedy  for 
Celery  rusting  or  burning.  The  cause,  we  think,  is  the 
condition  of  the  weather,  which  destroys  the  tender  fibers 
or  what  are  called  the  "  working  roots  "  of  the  plant,  for 
we  find  it  usually  worse  in  seasons  of  extreme  drouth  or 
moisture,  particularly  in  warm  weather. 

We  know  of  no  remedy,  nor  do  we  believe  there  is  any. 
We  may  say,  however,  that  it  is  less  liable  to  appear  on 
new  fresh  soils,  that  are  free  from  acids  or  sourness,  than 
on  old  soils  that  have  been  surfeited  with  manure  and 
have  had  no  rest. 

Although,  under  ordinary  conditions,  if  proper  vari- 
eties of  Celery  are  used,  the  crop  should  never  be  pithy 
or  hollow,  yet  we  have  found  that  now  and  then  even  the 
most  solid  kinds  of  Celery  have  become  more  or  less  hol- 
low when  planted  in  soft  loose  soils,  suck  as  reclaimed 
peat  bogs,  where  the  soil  is  mostly  composed  of  leaf 
mould.  In  fact,  on  heavy  or  clayey  soils,  the  Celery  will 
be  specifically  heavier  than  on  lighter  soils. 

Our  manner  of  preserving  Celery  during  the  winter  is 
now  very  simple,  but  as  the  knowledge  of  the  process  is 
not  yet  universally  known  to  market  gardeners  in  all 
sections  of  the  country,  I  will  endeavor  to  put  it  plain 
enough,  so  that  my  readers  "may  go  and  do  likewise." 
In  this  locality  we  begin  to  dig  up  that  which  we  intend 
for  winter  use  about  the  end  of  October,  and  continue 
the  work  (always  on  dry  days)  until  the  20th  or  25th  of 
November,  which  is  as  late  as  we  dare  risk  it  out  for  fear 
of  frost.  Let  it  be  understood  that  Celery  will  stand 
quite  a  sharp  frost,  say  ten  or  even  fifteen  degrees,  while 
twenty  or  twenty-five  degrees  will  destroy  it.  Hence,  ex- 
perience has  taught  us  that  the  sharp  frosts  that  we  usu- 
ally have  during  the  early  part  of  November  rarely  hurt 
it  (unless  in  rare  cases  where  we  have  had  an  unusual 


VEGETABLES — CELERY. 


381 


warm  spell  succeeded  by  sharp  frost),  though  often  caus- 
ing it  to  droop  flat  on  the  ground,  until  thawed  out  by 
the  sun.  It  must,  however,  never  be  touched  when  in 
the  frozen  state,  or  it  is  almost  certain  to  decay.  The 
ground  in  which  it  is  placed  for  winter  use  should  be  as 
dry  as  possible,  or  if  not  dry,  so  arranged  that  no  water 
will  remain  in  the  trench.  The  trench  should  be  dug  as 
narrow  as  possible,  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  inches 
wide,  and  of  the  depth  exactly  of  the  height  of  the  Cel- 
ery ;  that  is,  if  the  plant  of  the  Celery  be  two  feet  in 
length,  the  depth  of  the  drain  or  trench  should  be  two 


Fl£  35. — CELERY  STORED  FOR  WINTER. 

feet  also.  The  Celery  is  now  placed  in  the  trench  as 
nearly  perpendicular  as  possible,  so  as  to  fill  it  up  entirely, 
its  green  tops  being  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  trench. 
Figure  35  represents  a  section  across  trenches  filled  with 
Celery  in  the  manner  just  described.  No  earth  whatever 
is  put  to  the  roots  other  than  what  may  adhere  to  them 
after  being  dug  up.  It  being  closely  packed  together, 
there  is  moisture  enough  always  at  the  bottom  of  the 
trench  to  keep  this  plant,  at  the  cool  season  of  the  year, 
from  wilting,  and  also  to  induce  it  to  form  new  white 
roots,  which  must  be  formed  before  the  Celery  will 
blanch.  That  which  is  put  in  trenches  about  the  25th 


182  GARDENING   FOR   PKOFIT. 

of  October  is  usually  ready  to  be  taken  up  for  use 
about  the  1st  of  December  ;  that  a  couple  of  weeks  later, 
by  1st  of  January  ;  and  the  last  (which  we  try  always  to 
defer  to  the  15th  or  20th  of  November),  may  be  used  dur- 
ing the  winter  and  until  the  1st  of  April.  For  the  first 
lot  no  covering  is  required,  but  that  for  use  during  the 
winter  months  must  be  gradually  covered  up  until  the 
middle  of  December,  or  until  the  1st  of  January,  when 
it  will  require  at  least  a  foot  of  covering  of  some  light, 
dry  material — hay,  straw,  or  leaves — the  latter  perhaps 
the  best.  I  have  said  the  covering  up  should  be  gradual. 
This  is  very  important ;  for  if  the  full  weight  of  cover- 
ing is  put  on  at  once  it  prevents  the  passing  off  of  the 
heat  generated  by  the  closely  packed  mass  of  Celery,  and 
in  consequence  it  to  some  extent  "heats,"  and  decay 
takes  place.  Covered  up  in  this  manner,  it  can  be  got 
out  with  ease  during  the  coldest  weather  in  winter,  and 
with  perfect  safety.  These  dates  of  operations,  like  all 
others  named  throughout  this  work,  arc  for  this  latitude  ; 
the  cultivator  must  use  his  judgment  carefully  in  this 
matter,  to  suit  the  section  in  which  he  is  located. 

For  market  gardeners,  and  others  who  have  large  quan- 
tities, this  is  the  best  method  of  storing ;  but  for  smaller 
growers,  either  for  sale  or  for  private  use,  quite  a  quan- 
tity may  be  preserved  in  any  cellar  where  there  is  no 
furnace  or  other  fire  heat.  When  a  few  hundred  roots 
only  are  to  be  stored  it  can  bo  placed  in  narrow  boxes, 
say  nine  inches  wide,  four  or  six  feet  in  length,  and  of  a 
deptli  a  little  less  than  the  height  of  the  Celery.  A  few 
inches  of  sand  or  soil  is  placed  on  the  bottom  of  the 
box,  but  none  must  be  put  between  the  stalks  of  the 
Celery,  and  the  Celery  is  packed  in  the  box  upright, 
the  roots  being  placed  on  the  sand  at  the  bottom  ; 
the  Celery  must  be  packed  in  as  tight  as  possible, 
but  without  braising.  Boxes  thus  packed  and  stood 
on  the  cool  floor  of  the  cellar,  if  put  away  in  Govern- 


•VEGETABLES — CELEKY.  183 

ber,  will  be  "blanched"  fit  for  use  during  January, 
February,  and  March.  If  put  in  sooner  than  No- 
vember it  will  blanch  earlier,  and  if  stored  later  it 
will  keep  later.  If  larger  quantities  are  to  be  kept 
in  the  cellar,  the  cheapest  practicable  way  to  do  so  is 
to  begin  at  one  side  next  the  wall,  furthest  from  the 
entrance,  and  erect  boards  across  the  cellar,  nine  inches 
from  the  wall,  and  of  a  height  a  little  less  than  the  length 
of  the  Celery — that  is,  if  the  Celery  is  twenty-four  inches 
in  length,  the  boarding  may  be  eighteen  or  twenty  inches 
high.  In  this  narrow  division  the  Celery  is  packed  in 
u plight,  as  above  described  for  packing  in  boxes.  As 
soon  as  the  first  tier  is  filled,  erect  another  board  trench 
or  division  at  nine  inches  distant  from  the  first,  and  so 
on  until  the  whole  space  to  be  used  is  filled  up.  It  will  be 
understood  that  no  soil  or  sand  is  packed  between  the 
stalks  of  Celery,  only  two  or  three  inches  being  strewn 
on  the  floor,  on  which  the  roots  are  placed.  Simultane- 
ously with  the  formation  of  the  white  rootlets  the  blanch- 
ing process  begins,  which  is  simply  the  plant  making  an 
effort  to  grow  in  the  dark,  and  thus  becoming  blanched 
or  whitened.  We  have  sometimes  complaints  that-  Celery 
fails  to  blanch  or  whiten.  In  all  such  cases  the  roots 
must  have  been  in  some  way  injured  by  being  frozen  or 
driei  too  much  while  being  lifted  from  the  field,  but  this 
should  never  happen  with  ordinary  .care.  A  cellar  or 
root-house  twenty  by  twenty  feet,  so  packed,  will  hold 
from  3,000  to  5,000  roots  of  Celery,  according  to  their 
size.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  get  the  board  partitions 
forming  the  trenches,  or  divisions  between  the  tiers  of 
Celery,  more  than  nine  or  ten  inches  apart,  for  if  at  much 
greater  distance  the  stems  and  leaves  would  be  in  too 
large  masses  and  would  generate  heat  and  rot. 

As  the  cellar  or  root-house  is  usually  a  damp  and  dark 
apartment,  there  will  generally  be  no  necessity  to  water 
the  Celery  after  it  is  packed.  Every  means  of  ventilation 


184  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

should  be  used,  even  in  cold  weather,  for  ifc  must  always 
be  borne  in  mind  that  Celery  is  a  vegetable  that  will  stand 
quite  a  sharp  frost  without  injury,  so  if  the  temperature 
of  the  cellar  falls  five  or  six  degrees  below  the  freezing 
point,  no  injury  will  be  done.  When  Celery  or  other 
vegetables  are  packed  away  for  preservation  in  cellars  or 
in  the  open  field,  it  is  indispensable  that  no  water  be 
allowed  to  lodge  in  the  pit  or  trench ;  so  that  in  the 
event  of  using  a  cellar  or  root-house  for  this  purpose,  a 
matter  of  first  importance  is  thorough  drainage,  in  soils 
where  drainage  is  necessary. 

Kegarding  the  profits  of  this  crop  I  can  speak  from  a 
very  extensive  experience  in  its  culture,  having  cultivated 
at  one  time,  an  average  of  ten  acres  for  eighteen  years. 
For  many  years,  in  the  early  part  of  that  time,  it  was  by 
no  means  what  we  would  now  call  a  profitable  crop.  By 
persisting  in  raising  the  large  growing  sorts,  and  the 
awkward  and  expensive  mode  we  had  then  of  working  it, 
we  were  satisfied  if  it  gave  us  a  profit  of  $50  or  $75  per 
acre.  But  for  the  last  twenty  years,  by  adopting  the  flat 
culture,  and  the  drain  or  trench  system  for  winter  stor- 
age, it  has  done  much  better,  and  is  now*  a  very  profitable 
"  second  crop,"  averaging  a  clear  profit  of  $250  per  acre, 
though  it  rarely  brings  here  over  $2.50  per  100  roots. 
No  doubt,  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  it  is  much  more 
profitable  than  in  the  crowded  markets  of  New  York.  It 
is  shipped  from  here  in  all  directions — to  Philadelphia 
(largely),  Baltimore  ard  Washington  (South),  and  to 
Newport,  Providence,  Hartford  and  New  Haven  (East). 
It  is  a  bulky  and  expensive  article  to  ship,  and  the  dealer 
must  realize  more  than  double  on  the  purchase,  or  it  will 
not  pay  his  risk.  It  must  thus  cost  the  consumer,  in 
those  towns  to  which  we  send  it,  seven  or  eight  cents  per 
head,  a  price  at  which  it  would  pay  a  clear  profit  of 
$1,000  or  $1,500  per  acre. 

If  the  awkward  and  laborious  systems  of  cultivation 


VEGETABLES — CELEKY. 


185 


still  persisted  in  for  the  growing  of  Celery  are  a  mistake, 
the  continued  use  of  the  tall  growing  and  coarse  varieties 
we  believe  to  be  even  a  far  greater  one.  The  kinds  that 
are  offered  in  European  catalogues  are  many,  but  in  the 
whole  list  there  are  but  few  that  are  desirable  for  the 
market  gardener  or 
for  private  gardens. 
The  climate  of  Eng- 
land is  much  more  fa- 
vorable to  the  growth 
of  Celery  than  that 
of  our  country,  and 
every  year  new  varie- 
ties are  offered  there, 
of  which  only  now 
and  then  one  proves 
of  permanent  value, 
but  with  the  majority 
the  differences  are 
mainly  in  the  name 
The  following  kinds, 
some  of  them  of  very 
recent  introduction, 
are  great  improve- 
ments on  the  sorts 
grown  a  dozen  years 
ago: 

Henderson's  Golden 
Dwarf.— (See  figure 
30.)  This  is  now  the, 

leading  variety,  not  only  around  New  York,  but  in  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  country.  In  the  great  Celery-growing 
district  of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  it  is  the  variety  that  is 
planted  almost  exclusively.  In  size  and  habit  of  growth 
it  is  much  the  same  as  the  Half  Dwarf  and  Dwarf  White 
kinds,  except  that  when  blanched,  the  heart  is  of  a  waxy 


Fig.  36. — HENDERSON'S  GOLDEN  DWARF 
CELEB?. 


186 


GARDENING   FOR   PKOFIT. 


golden  yellow,  rendering  it  a  most  attractive  and  showy 
variety  for  either  market  or  private  use.  It  is  entirely 
solid,  of  excellent  flavor,  and  one  of  the  best  keepers  dur- 
ing winter.  It  originated  with  us  from  a  chance  seed- 
ling, about  fifteen  years  ago. 


Fig.    37.— WHITE  PLUME  CELERY,  AS  PUT  UP  FOR  THE  NEW  YORK 
MARKET. 

White  Plume,— (See  figure  37.)  This  variety  presents 
characteristics  so  different  from  what  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  find  in  Celery  that  it  merits  the  rather  extended 
description  which  follows.  The  peculiarity  of  the  vari- 
ety is,  that  its  stalk  and  portions  of  its  inner  leaves  ai)d 


VEGKTABLES — CELERY.  187 

heart  are  naturally  white,  so  that  by  closing  the  stalks, 
either  by  tying  them  up  with  matting  or  by  simply 
drawing  the  soil  up  against  the  plant  and  pressing  it 
together  with  the  hands,  and  again  drawing  up  the  soil 
with  the  hoe  or  plow,  so  as  to  keep  the  soil  that  has  been 
squeezed  against  the  Celery  in  its  place,  the  work  of 
blanching  is  completed  ;  while  it  is  well  known  that  in 
all  other  varieties  of  Celery,  in  addition  to  this,  the  slow 
and  troublesome  process  of  "banking"  or  "earthing 
up "  with  a  spade  is  necessary.  Another  merit  of  this 
variety  is  that  it  far  excels  any  known* vegetable  as  an 
ornament  for  the  table,  the  inner  leaves  being  disposed 
somewhat  like  an  ostrich  feather,  which  suggested  its 
name.  It  is  also,  we  think,  the  earliest  Celery  in  culti- 
vation, and  when  to  all  these  valuable  characteristics  is 
added  that  its  eating  qualities  are  equal  to  the  very  best 
of  the  older  sorts,  being  crisp,  solid  and  possessing  a  rich, 
nutty  flavor,  it  is  but  little  wonder  that  the  White  Plume 
should  have  secured  in  so  short  a  time  a  permanent  place 
in  cultivation.  It  should  be  stated,  however,  that  this 
variety  never  whitens  in  a  young  state,  and  usually  only 
begins  to  show  its  self  blanching  character  when  the 
growth  begins  in  the  cool  weather.  When  I  first  sent 
out  the  White  Plume  Celery  in  1884,  I  imagined  from  its 
having  the  stems  and  leaves  white,  that  it  would  not 
keep  in  winter,  and  so  stated,  but,  further  trial  has 
shown  that  it  keeps  nearly  as  well  as  any  of  the  other 
kinds. 

Henderson's  Half  Dwarf,— (See  figure  38).  Except 
the  Golden  Dwarf,  this  variety  is  now  grown  more  ex- 
tensively than  any  other  by  the  market  gardeners  who 
supply  the  New  York  markets,  and  is  now  found  on 
the  tables  of  all  first-class  hotels.  When  blanched  it  is 
a  yellowish  white,  making  it  very  ornamental  for  the 
table.  It  is  entirely  solid  and  possesses  a  rich,  nutty 
flavor,  while  it  has  much  vigor  of  growth,  surpassing 


188 


GARDENING   FOB    PROFIT. 


most  of    the  large  growing  sorts    in  weight  of  bunch 
when  grown  under  the  same  conditions. 

Santiringham. — Under  good 
cultivation  this  variety  attains 
a  height  of  two  feet  and  a  cir- 
cumference of  twelve  inches. 
It  is  perfectly  solid,  the  stalks 
half  round,  the  leaves  and  stems 
being  rather  light  green.  When 
blanched  it  is  a  yellowish  white, 
crisp,  tender  and  of  very  fine 
flavor.  The  great  advantage  of 
this,  as  well  as  the  other  dwarf 
sorts,  over  the  large  kinds,  is 
that  nearly  every  part  of  the 
plant  is  fit  to  eat  when  blanched. 
For  instance,  if  in  the  dwarf 
varieties  the  length  is  only  two 
feet  and  in  the  large  sorts  three 
feet,  the  extra  length  of  the 
large  sort  is  unfit  for  use,  being 
usually  only  an  elongation  of 
the  outer  leaves,  the  heart  or 
edible  part  rarely  rising  more 
than  eighteen  inches  in  the  large 
sorts,  while  the  dwarf  sorts  may 
be  said  to  be  all  heart.  This 
variety  in  this  section  seems  to 
have  more  tendency  to  blight 
or  rust  than  any  other  kinds ; 
but  where  it  can  be  grown  with- 
Fig.  38.— HENDERSON'S  HALF  out  this  difficulty,  as  it  can  be 
DWARF  CELERY.  jn  such  Boii8  as  at  Kalamazoo, 

Michigan,  I  think  it  has  no  equal. 

Boston  Market, — A  great  favorite  around  Boston  and 


VEGETABLES — CELERY.  189 

similar  to  the  Dwarf  White,  but  rather  more  robust. 
The  leaves  are  a  darker  green,  the  stalks  when  blanched 
are  nearly  white.  It  is  an  excellent  variety,  solid,  crisp 
and  tender. 

Giant  White  Solid,— The  best  of  the   large  growing 
sorts,  attaining  a  height,  under  good  cultivation,  of  three 


Fig.  39. — CELEB TAC. 

feet.  It  should  never  be  planted  closer  than  four  feet 
between  the  rows,  or  it  cannot  be  properly  worked.  For 
southern  sections  of  the  country  this  variety  is  more 
suitable  than  the  dwarf  sorts,  as  it  grows  freer  in  a  hot 
and  dry  atmosphere. 

Henderson's  Rose. — The  superiority  in  flavor,  as  a 
rule,  of  the  red  or  rose  Celeries  over  the  white  sorts, 
is  much  better  understood  in  England  (where  the 
majority  of  Celery  grown  is  red),  than  with  us.  For 
some  unexplained  reason,  the  red  Celeries  have  not  sold 


190 


GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 


well  in  our  markets.  This  cannot  long  be,  however,  as 
when  once  grown  they  will  never  be  given  up,  not  only 
for  their  superior  flavor  and  crispness,  but  for  their  far 
better  keeping  qualities.  This  variety  is  one  of  the 
best  I  have  ever  seen. 

Major  Clark's  Pink.  —  Another  excellent  variety 
among  the  red  sorts.  It  is  of  medium  growth,  stiff,  close 
habit,  large  heart,  solid,  crisp  and  of  fine  walnut  flavor. 


CELERIAC,  OR  TURNIP-SOOTED  CELERY. 

(Apium  graveolens.     Far.) 

This,  figure  39,  is  grown  from  seeds  sown  in  the  same 
manner,  and  planted  out  at  the  same  times  as  directed 
for  Celery ;  but  as  it  requires  but  a  slight  earthing  up, 

it  is  planted  closer  than 
ordinary  Celery  ;  eight- 
een inches  between  the 
rows  and  six  inches  be- 
tween the  plants.  It  is 
preserved  for  winter  use 
in  shallow  trenches,  and 
covered  up  as  the  season 
advances,  as  directed  for 
Celery.  It  is  as  yet 
grown  to  but  a  limited 
extent  here,  being  used 
only  by  the  French  and 
Germans.  The  turnip- 
like  root  is  cooked,  or 
it  is  sliced  and  used 
with  vinegar,  making  a  most  excellent  salad. 

Dwarf  Apple  Shaped, — (See  figure  40).  This  com- 
paratively new  variety  is  now  the  main  kind  grown. 


Fig.   40. — DWARF    ^PPLE-SHAPED 

CELERIC. 


VEGETABLES — CHIVES — CORN  SALAD — CRESS.        191 
CHIVES.— (Allium  Sclcenoprasum.) 

A  small  bulbous-rooted  plant  of  the  Onion  tribe,  en- 
tirely hardy  and  of  the  easiest  culture,  as  it  will  grow  on 
almost  any  soil  for  many  years  without  renewal.  It  is 
propagated  by  division  of  the  root,  and  may  be  planted 
at  nine  or  ten  inches  apart  ;  the  leaves  are  the  parts 
used,  which  may  be  repeatedly  shorn  off  during  the  early 
summer  months.  They  are  sometimes  used  in  soups, 
but  more  generally  in  the  raw  state. 


CORN  SALAD,  OR  FETTICTIS.— (Fedia  olitoria.) 

A  vegetable  used  as  a  salad  and  sold  to  a  considerable 
extent  in  our  markets.  It  is  sown  on  the  first  opening 
of  spring  in  rows  one  foot  apart,  and  is  fit  for  use  in  six 
or  eight  weeks  from  time  of  sowing.  If  wanted  to  come 
in  early  in  spring  it  is  sown  in  September,  covered  up 
with  straw  or  hay  as  soon  as  cold  weather  sets  in,  and  is 
wintered  over  exactly  as  Spinach.  The  covering  is  re- 
moved in  March  or  April  when  it  starts  to  grow,  and  is 
one  of  our  first  green  vegetables  in  spring.  It  is  also 
grown  to  a  large  extent  by  the  German  gardeners  on 
New  York  Island  in  cold  frames. 


CRESS,  OR  PEPPER  GRASS.— (Lcpidium  sativum.) 

Another  early  spring  vegetable,  used  as  a  salad,  and  of 
easy  culture.  It  is  sown  in  early  spring  in  rows  one 
foot  apart ;  as  it  runs  quickly  to  seed,  succession  sowings 
should  be  made  every  eight  or  ten  days.  There  are  sev- 
eral varieties,  but  the  kind  in  general  use  is  the  Curled, 
which  13  used  for  garnishing  as  well  as  for  salads. 


192  GARDENING   FOS    PROFIT. 

CRESS— W  A.TIH!i,— (Nasturtium  ojficinale.) 

This  is  a  well-known  hardy  perennial  aquatic  plant, 
growing  abundantly  along  the  margins  of  running 
streams,  ditches  and  ponds,  and  sold  in  immense  quanti- 
ties in  our  markets  in  spring.  Where  it  does  not  grow 
naturally,  it  is  easily  introduced  by  planting  along  the 
margins  of  ponds  or  streams,  where  it  quickly  increases, 
both  by  spreading  of  the  root  and  by  seeding.  Many  a 
farmer  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  realizes  more  profit 
from  the  Water  Cresses,  cut  from  the  margin  of  a  brook 
running  through  his  farm  in  two  or  three  weeks  in  spring, 
than  from  his  whole  year's  hard  labor  in  growing  Corn, 
Hay  or  Potatoes. 

Water  Cress  can  be  best  cultivated  in  places  where  the 
streams  run  through  a  level  tract.  Supposing  the  stream 
to  be  a  foot  deep  on  an  average,  and  six  or  eight  feet 
wide,  running  through  a  meadow,  a  good  plan  for  culti- 
vation is  to  make  excavations  laterally,  say  in  beds  five 
feet  wide  (with  five  foot  alleys  between),  to  a  depth  of 
about  eight  inches,  or  deep  enough  to  be  flooded  by  the 
stream  when  it  is  of  average  height,  or  when  shallow,  by 
damming  it  up  so  as  to  flood  the  beds. 

The  advantage  of  having  the  beds  excavated  at  right 
angles  to  the  stream  rather  than  parallel  with  it  is,  that 
in  the  event  of  freshets  the  crop  is  less  liable  to  be  washed 
away.  The  length  and  number  of  the  beds  excavated 
must,  of  course,  be  determined  by  circumstances. 

Water  Cress  seeds  germinate  freely  in  earth  when  kept 
saturated  ;  hence  the  beds,  when  properly  levelled  and 
pulverized  by  digging  and  raking,  should  be  slightly 
flooded — enough  to  only  saturate  the  soil  until  the  seeds 
germinate,  for,  of  course,  if  the  beds  were  filled  up  with 
water,  the  seeds  would  be  washed  off.  After  the  seed- 
lings have  started  so  as  to  show  green,  the  water  may  be 
gradually  let  on  as  they  develop. 

The  best  time  of  sowing  the  seed  for  the  latitude  of 


VEGETABLES — CRESS.  193 

New  York,  for  spring,  is  about  the  middle  of  April  ;  for 
fall,  about  the  middle  of  August.  I  advocate  that  seeds 
of  all  plants  of  this  description  should  be  sown  in  rows  a 
foot  or  so  apart,  as  the  seed  is  small  and  germinates 
freely,  so  that  three  or  four  pounds  will  be  enough  for  an 
acre.  It  should  be  cultivated  exactly  as  Spinach  is. 

When  Water  Cress  is  found  growing  naturally,  the 
beds  can  be  made  by  setting  the  plants  six  or  twelve  inches 
apart  each  way.  When  the  cultivation  is  once  fairly  be- 
gun, there  is  no  difficulty  about  forming  new  beds,  as 
few  plants  grow  more  rapidly  when  proper  conditions  are 
present. 

After  the  crop  is  planted  or  sown,  in  two  months  it 
will  have  spread  all  over  the  beds.  The  streams  being 
full  in  autumn,  the  beds  will  be  fully  flooded  so  as  to 
protect  the  plants  during  winter.  It  is  always  found 
growing  best  wild,  in  clear,  shallow,  slowly-running 
water,  with  a  sandy  or  gravelly  bottom  ;  and  as  nature  is 
always  the  surest  guide  to  successful  cultivation,  the 
nearer  it  can  be  imitated  the  better  the  success. 

I  find  it  is  one  of. the  plants  the  culture  of  which  is  not 
very  easy  to  give  by  writing,  as  so  much  must  be  de- 
termined by  the  circumstances  of  locality.  Wherever 
a  suitable  stream  is  at  command,  the  experiment  of 
growing  Water  Cress  is  worthy  of  trial,  especially  when  we 
know  that  it  in  many  cases  pays,  for  a  given  area,  six  or 
eight  times  more  than  any  other  vegetable  cultivated, 
provided  it  can  be  sold  in  the  markets  of  New  York  or 
Philadelphia. 

It  is  usually  sold  in  baskets  containing  about  three 
quarts,  which  sell,  when  first  in  market,  at  fifty  cents 
each ;  200  or  300  such  are  carried  in  an  ordinary  wagon, 
so  that  from  a  single  load  of  this  simple  vegetable,  $100 
to  $200  are  realized.  The  Water  Cress  has  a  particularly 
pleasant  pungent  taste,  agreeable  to  most  people  in  early 
spring. 


194  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

It  is  said  that  when  Sir  Joseph  Banks  first  arrived  in 
England  after  his  voyage  around  the  world,  among  the 
first  things  he  asked  for  were  Water  Cresses,  well  know- 
ing their  value  as  a  purifier  of  the  blood  ;  and  that  he 
afterwards  presented  one  of  the  largest  Water  Cress 
growers  for  the  London  market,  a  Banksian  Medal,  for 
energy  shown  in  the  business,  believing  that  while  he 
had  benefited  himself  he  had  benefited  the  community. 

I  have  no  doubt  whatever  that  in  situations  where  irri- 
gation could  be  used  at  pleasure,  and  regular  planta- 
tions made,  as  for  Cranberries,  that,  grown  in  this  way, 
judging  from  the  enormous  price  it  sells  at,  picked  up  as 
it  is  in  the  present  hap-hazard  way,  at  present  prices,  an 
acre  would  sell  for  $1,000  to  $2,000. 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  immense  quantities  of  Water 
Cress  sold  about  some  of  the  cities  in  Europe,  we  may 
state  that  a  recent  number  of  "Covent  Garden  Gazette" 
states  that  Water  Cresses  to  the  value  of  £60,000  are 
annually  consumed  in  Paris,  and  in  London  to  the  extent 
of  £30,000  annually. 


UPLAND  CEESS.— (Barbarea  vulgaris.) 

This  has  recently  been  introduced  as  a  new  vegetable 
by  a  Mr.  Beyer,  of  Iowa,  and  Mr.  Beyer  may  be  well  par- 
doned for  believing  it  to  be  new,  for  he  says  that  he  is 
informed  by  the  largest  seed  firm  in  Paris  in  a  letter 
written  in  1885,  that  in  their  belief  it  is  "  new  in 
France." 

Now,  it  is  not  "  new,"  but  a  very  old  plant,  as  I  well 
remember  it  in  my  'prentice  days,  when  it  was  grown 
as  Spinach,  and  used  exactly  as  Water  Cress.  In  fact, 
it  so  much  resembles  Water  Cress  in  taste  that  the 
difference  is  scarcely  discernible,  and  the  wonder  is  that 
its  use  has  not  become  more  general,  as  it  is  of  as  easy 


VEGETABLES — COLIARDS — CORN".  195 

culture  as  Spinach  ;  indeed,  easier,  for  it  is  a  perennial 
plant,  and  can  be  grown  easily  for  two  years  without  re- 
sowing,  and  it  yields  enormous  crops.  The  seed  should 
be  sown  in  April,  in  rows  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  apart, 
and  Mr.  Beyer,  who  has  been  experimenting  with  it  in 
the  climate  of  Iowa,  says  it  has  stood  a  temperature 
of  five  degrees  below  zero,  and  still  keeping  green.  He 
believes  that  its  great  value  as  a  salad  will  soon  be  ap- 
preciated here,  and,  besides,  as  cattle  eat  it  greedily, 
it  may,  in  some  sections,  prove  a  valuable  forage  plant. 


COLLARDS  (SOUTHERN).— (Brassica  oleracea.     Far.) 

Most  of  the  Collards,  as  grown  in  this  section,  are 
nothing  more  than  sowings  of  any  early  variety  of  Cab- 
bage in  rows  about  one  foot  apart,  which  are  cut  off  for 
use  when  six  or  eight  inches  high.  The  Southern  Col- 
lard  is  a  distinct  variety  of  vigorous  growth,  attaining  a 
height  of  five  or  six  feet,  and  grown  in  portions  of  the 
South  where  the  ordinary  kinds  of  Cabbage  fail  to  head. 
Spring  sowings  may  be  made  every  two  weeks  at  two  feet 
apart  from  February  to  May ;  and  in  fall  from  Septem- 
ber as  late  as  the  season  will  admit. 


COSN.— (Zea  Mays.) 

The  varieties  known  as  "Sweet"  are  the  sorts  most 
cultivated  for  culinary  use  in  the  green  state.  It  may 
be  either  sown  in  rows  four  and  a  half  feet  apart,  and  the 
seeds  planted  at  eight  or  nine  inches  in  the  rows,  or 
planted  in  hills  at  distances  of  three  or  four  feet  each 
way,  according  to  the  variety  grown  or  the  richness  of 
the  soil  in  which  it  is  planted.  The  taller  the  variety  or 
richer  the  soil,  the  greater  should  be  .the  distance  apart. 


106  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

The  soil  best  suited  for  Corn  for  an  early  crop  is  a  W3ll 
enriched  sandy  loam.  The  planting  should  never  be 
done  until  the  weather  is  settled  and  warm,  as  heat  is 
indispensable  to  the  healthy  growth  of  Corn.  We  make 
our  first  plantings  in  this  vicinity  about  the  middle  of 
May,  and  continue  succession  plantings  every  two  or 
three  weeks  until  the  first  week  in  July,  which  date,  in 
this  latitude,  is  the  latest  at  which  we  can  plant  and  be 
sure  of  a  crop  of  "roasting  ears."  In  more  southerly 
latitudes  planting  is  begun  a  month  earlier  and  con- 
tinued a  month  later.  The  crop  is  hardly  profitable 
enough  for  the  market  gardener  where  land  is  high  in 
price,  but  the  farmers  realize  double  the  price  for  Sweet 
Corn  when  sold  m  the  green  state  in  our  markets,  that 
they  do  for  Ripe  Corn,  besides,  as  the  ground  can  be 
cleared  when  the  ears  are  thus  sold  in  August,  it  can  be 
used  afterwards  for  Turnips. 

About  twenty  years  ago  I  came  into  possession,  about 
the  1st  of  May,  of  a  four-acre  plot  that  had  lain  for 
many  years  in  sod.  It  was  then  too  late  to  be  able  to 
break  it  up  for  planting  any  of  the  finer  kinds  of  vege- 
tables, so  I  decided  to  plant  it  with  Sweet  Corn.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  had  the  sod  plowed  over  flat  in  such  a 
manner  as  would  best  rot  it.  I  was  careful  to  have  the 
furrows  straight,  and  at  every  five  feet  where  they  lapped 
together  I  dropped  Sweet  Corn  at  four  or  five  inches 
apart,  so  that  when  it  started  to  grow  it  stood  in  regular 
lines  five  feet  distant.  The  Corn  was  planted  about  May 
30th,  and  hoed  around  the  line  as  it  grew,  the  space 
between  being  run  over  by  the  harrow  cultivator.  By 
the  middle  of  June,  from  the  action  of  the  cultivator, 
the  space  between  the  rows  of  Corn  was  in  fine  friable 
condition,  and  Celery  was  planted  in  double  rows,  ten 
inches  apart.  The  shade  given  by  the  Corn  was  of  no 
injury  to  the  Celery  at  this  early  stage  of  its  growth,  and 
as  the  Corn  crop  was  sold  and  the  stalks  were  cleared  off 


VEGETABLES — COltN.  197 

by  the  middle  of  August,  the  growth  of  the  Celery  was 
not  in  the  slightest  impaired.  The  whole  transaction 
was  quite  satisfactory  ;  the  Corn  crop  sold  (green),  for 
about  $600,  or  $150  per  acre  ;  the  Celery  at  about  $400 
per  acre,  which  was  exceedingly  low,  not  much  more 
than  one  cent  per  root  for  every  root  planted  ;  in  some 
subsequent  years  the  price  would  have  doubled  that  for 
the  same  quantity.  Xo  fertilizer .  was  used,  except  a 
slight  sprinkling  of  bone  dust  for  the  Celery.  A  profit 
now  of  from  $50  to  $75  is  usually  realized  per  acre  from 
Sweet  Corn.  The  best  varieties  now  are  : 

Early  Marblchead, — (See  figure  41.)  Certainly  as 
early,  if  not  a  little  earlier,  than  any  of  the  other  sorts 
of  Sweet  Corn.  In  appearance  it  resembles  the  better 
known  Early  Narragansett.  The  stalk  is  dwarf  and  it 
sets  its  ears  very  low  down,  which  are  of  fair  market- 
able size. 

Cory, — Squally  early  as  the  preceding,  and  said  to  be 
larger  in  size. 

Early  Minnesota.— (See  figure  42.)  Very  early  and 
desirable  alike  in  the  market  and  family  garden.  Height 
of  stalk,  four  and  a  half  feet ;  ears  of  fair  size  and  good 
quality. 

Crosby's  Early  Sugar,— Early,  and  a  great  favorite  in 
the  markets  of  all  large  cities.  Ears  rather  small  but 
productive,  and  of  excellent  quality. 

Henderson, — This  variety  is  of  medium  earliness 
rind  is  valued  alike  in  the  market  and  family  garden,  or 
for  canning  purposes,  for  which  latter  use  enormous 
areus  of  it  are  now  grown.  The  ears  are  twelve  rowed, 
straight  and  handsome  ;  quality  of  the  very  best. 

Squantum  Sugar, — One  of  the  sweetest  and  most 
valued  varieties  I  know  of.  It  is  rather  early  and  won- 
derfully productive.  Rows  irregular,  but  setting  four 
and  five  ears  on  a  stalk. 


198 


GARDENING    FOR   PilOFIT. 


Egyptian. — The  ears  of  this  variety  are  of  large  size, 
the  flavor  peculiarly  rich  and  sweet.  It  is  grown  in 
equally  large  quantities  for  both  canning  and  for  selling 
in  the  green  state.  Like  all  the  other  large  varieties,  it 
matures  late — perhaps  the  best  late  sort. 

StO well's  Evergreen. — (See  figure  43. )  Now  recognized 


Fig.  41.— MARBLE-    Fig.  43.—  MINNESOTA 

HEAD   CORN.  COKN. 


Fig,  43.— STOWELL'S 

EVERGREEN  CORN. 


everywhere  as  the  standard  late  variety,  and  having  the 
peculiarity  of  remaining  longer  in  the  green  state  than 
most  other  sorts. 
Mammoth  Sugar,— A  late  variety  and  a  sort  that  pro- 


VEGETABLES — CUCUMBER.  199 

duces  ears  of  very  large  size  and  fine  flavor.  It  is  un- 
usually productive,  and  is  the  variety  almost  exclusively 
grown  by  New  York  market  gardeners  for  their  late 
crop. 


CUCUMBER,.—  (Cucumis  sativus.) 

The  growing  of  the  Cucumber  out-of-doors  is,  in  most 
places,  attended  with  a  great  deal  of  annoyance  and 
loss,  occasioned  by  the  attacks  of  the  "Striped  Bug." 
When  the  seed  is  sown  in  the  open  ground,  repeated  sow- 
ings are  often  utterly  destroyed  by  this  pest,  despite 
all  remedies.  To  avoid  this,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
forward  the  crop  at  least  a  week,  we  have  long  adopted 
the  following  method  with  the  greatest  success  :  About 
the  middle  of  May  (for  this  section),  we  cut  from  a  pas- 
ture lot,  sods  two  to  three  inches  thick  ;  these  are  placed 
with  the  grassy  side  down,  either  on  the  benches  of  our 
forcing-house,  in  an  exhausted  hot-bed,  or  inside  of  a 
cold  frame  ;  at  that  season  of  the  year  any  one  of  these 
will  do  as  well  as  another.  The  sods  being  fitter!  together 
neatly  so  that  all  crevices  are  filled  up,  they  are  then 
cut  into  squares  about  three  or  four  inches  in  length 
and  breadth  ;  on  each  of  these  are  planted  two  or  three 
seeds  of  Cucumber,  and  over  the  whole  is  sifted  about 
half  an  inch  of  covering  of  some  fine  rich  mold.  They 
are  then  sprinkled  thoroughly  from  a  rose  watering- 
pot,  and  the  sashes  put  on  and  kept  closed  until  the 
seeds  begin  to  germinate,  which  will  be  in  three  or  four 
days.  As  soon  as  they  are  up,  the  sashes  must  be  raised 
to  admit  air,  else  the  sun's  rays,  acting  on  the  glass, 
would  raise  the  temperature  too  high  ;  at  that  season  of 
the  year  the  sashes,  as  a  rule,  may  be  tilted  up  at  eight 
or  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  shut  down  by  three 
or  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  By  the  time  the  Cu- 


200  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

cumber  plants  have  attained  two  or  three  of  their  rough 
leaves,  which  will  be  in  about  three  weeks  from  the  time 
of  sowing,  they  are  planted  out  in  the  open  ground  in 
hills  three  feet  apart  each  way.  The  hills  should  have 
been  previously  prepared,  by  mixing  thoroughly  with  the 
coil  in  each,  a  shovelful  of  well-rotted  manure. 

It  is  always  better  to  plant  in  the  afternoon  rather  than 
during  the  early  part  of  the  day,  as  the  coolness  and 
moisture  at  night  enable  the  plants  to  recuperate  from 
the  effects  of  removal.  If  the  weather  is  hot  and  dry,  it 
is  safer  to  give  each  hill  a  thorough  watering  ones,  imme- 
diately after  planting.  I  have  recommended  sods  in 
preference  to  flower-pots  for  starting  the  Cucumbers, 
inasmuch  as  they  are  not  only  procurable  in  all  places, 
but  our  experience  sliDws  that  the  sod  is  even  better  than 
the  flower-pot  ;  it  better  retains  moisture,  and  there  is  a 
freshness  about  sod  in  which  the  roots  of  all  plants  love 
to  revel,  and  which  no  composts  we  can  prepare  can  ever 
equal. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  expense  of  growing  Cucumbers 
in  this  manner  is  considerable  ;  to  grow  enough  for  an 
acre — about  5,000  hills — it  will  require  the  use  of  twenty 
three  by  six  foot  sashes,  and  the  preparation  of  the 
sods  and  attention  in  airing,  etc.,  until  they  are  fit  to 
plant,  will  involve  ten  times  more  expense  than  simply 
sowing  the  seed  in  the  hills  ;  but  all  such  expenditures 
are  well  returned,  for  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  profits 
would  always  be  at  least  three  times  more  by  this  plan 
than  by  the  other.  The  average  receipts  are  $500  per 
acre,  working  expenses  probably  $250,  and  the  crop  is  off 
in  time  for  Turnips  or  Spinach  as  a  second  crop. 

The  Cucumber  is  a  vegetable  perhaps  better  fitted  than 
any  other  for  Southern  market  gardeners.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  by  the  forwarding  process  above  described,  it 
could  be  had  in  marketable  condition  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Charleston  or  Savannah,  at  least  a  month  before  it 


t 

VEGETABLES — CUCUMBER.  201 

could  in  New  York,  and  as  it  is  one  of  the  easiest  things 
we  have  to  ship,  a  profitable  business  could  be  made  of 
growing  it  to  send  North.  The  profits  on  an  acre  of  Cu- 
cumbers grown  by  this  method  in  Charleston,  and  sold 
in  New  York  in  June,  would,  I  think,  exceed  the  aver- 
age profits  of  twenty-five  acres  of  Cotton.  For  forward- 
ing under  glass  see  "Forcing  Cucumbers,"  on  page  79. 

Cucumbers  are  also  extensively  raised  for  pickling, 
hundreds  of  acres  being  grown  for  this  purpose  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York,  especially  in  Westchester  County. 
Sod  or  stubble  land,  plowed  in  early  fall,  and  again 
turned  over  twice  or  thrice  in  spring,  is  the  condition  of 
soil  usually  chosen. 

The  ground  is  marked  out  as  for  Corn,  four  feet  each 
way,  and  a  good  shovelful  of  well-rotted  manure,  dug  in 
at  the  tingle  which  forms  the  hill ;  the  seed  is  sown — 
about  a  dozen  in  each  hill — usually  about  the  20th  of 
June,  but  equally  good  crops  can  be  obtained  by  sowings 
made  as  late  as  the  middle  of  July. 

The  average  price  of  late  years  has  been  $1.50  per 
1,000,  and  the  number  grown  per  acre  on  properly  culti- 
vated lands  is  150,000,  which  is  $225  gross  receipts  per 
acre.  The  expense  of  raising  is  said  to  be  about  one- half. 
These  profits  would  not  satisfy  the  market  gardener  on 
his  few  valuable  acres  near  the  city,  but,  no  doubt,  are 
remunerative  enough  to  the  farmers  with  large  quanti- 
ties of  cheap  land. 

The  varieties  are  numerous  and  embrace  many  very 
well  marked  kinds.  The  large  growing  kinds  that  attain 
two  feet  or  more  in  length  have  never  become  favorites 
in  our  American  markets. 

Improved  White  Spine,— (See  figure  44.)  This,  a  favor- 
ite market  variety,  belongs  to  the  section  of  short  Cucum- 
bers, producing  fruit  of  medium  size,  from  six  to  eight 
inches  in  length,  and  two  to  three  inches  in  diameter. 
It  is  a  handsome  fruit,  deep  green  in  flesh,  crisp,  and  of 


202 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


fine    flavor.     This  is   one   of  the   varieties   grown  for 
forcing. 

IVichoPs  Medium  Green. — This  new  variety  is  excellent 
as  a.  pickle  sort,  and  for  forcing  there  is  none  better.  It 
is  very  productive,  of  medium  size,  and  always  straight 
and  smooth.  Color,  dark  green  ;  flesh,  crisp  and  tender. 


Fig.  44. — IMPROVED  WHITE   SPINE  CUCUMBER. 

Early  Cluster,— A  much  esteemed  early  variety,  grow- 
ing in  clusters  and  extremely  productive.  Its  color  is 
bluish  green,  shading  lighter  at  the  extremities. 

Early  Russian, — (See  figure  45.)  This  is  the  earliest 
variety,  coming  into  use  about  ten  days  before  the  Early 


Fig.  45. — EARLY  RUSSIAN 
CUCUMBER. 


Fig.  46. --WEST  INDIAN  GHERKIN 
OR   BURR   CUCUMBER. 


Cluster,  which  it  resembles  in  some  respects,  but  is 
smaller  and  shorter.  The  fruit  is  generally  produced  in 
pairs,  and  is  from  three  to  four  inches  long,  hardy,  pro- 
ductive and  fine  flavored.  One  of  the  best  varieties  for 
private  gardens. 


VEGETABLES — EGG    PLAXT.  203 

Green  Prolific, — As  a  pickle  variety  it  is  unsurpassed. 
Its  characteristics  are  its  very  uniform  growth,  hardly 
ever  yielding  Cucumbers  too  large  for  pickling,  and  its 
immense  productiveness. 

Tailby's  Hybrid. — Dark  green  and  glossy  in  color,  good 
yielder  and  fine  flavor;  resembles  the  English  forcing 
varieties,  with  one  of  which  it  is  a  cross. 

West  India  Gherkin  or  Burr.— (See  figure  46.)  This 
variety,  which  is  exclusively  grown  for  pickling,  is  a  spe- 
cies distinct  from  the  common  Cucumber  (Oucumis  An- 
guria).  It  is  very  small,  length  from  two  to  three  inches, 
a  strong  growing  sort,  and  should  be  planted  five  feet 
apart. 

EGG  PLANT.— (Solatium  Melongena.) 

The  cultivation  of  the  Egg  Plant,  fiom  its  extreme 
tenderness,  is,  in  its  early  stage,  attended  perhaps  with 
more  trouble  than  any  vegetable  of  our  gardens.  A  na- 
tive of  Tropical  America,  it  at  all  times  requires  a  high 
temperature.  For  this  reason,  in  this  latitude,  the  seeds 
should  not  be  sown  in  the  hot-bed  until  the  first  week 
in  April ;  even  then  a  steady  bottom  heat  is  necessary  to 
a  healthy  development,  and  there  should  be  a  warm  cov- 
ering at  night  over  the  sashes.  I  have  always  found  that 
with  tender  plants  of  this  kind,  nothing  was  gained  by 
starting  early,  even  though  by  great  care  the  plants  are 
carried  through  the  cold  season.  By  the  time  they  can 
be  planted  in  the  open  ground,  about  June  1st,  those 
started  the  1st  of  March  would  be  no  larger  than  those 
started  1st  of  April,  besides  being  harder  both  in  roots 
and  leaves,  in  which  condition  they  are  far  inferior  to  the 
younger  plants  that  have  been  raised  with  less  than  half 
the  labor. 

A  correspondent  from  an  inland  town  writes  that,  for 
the  first  time,  the  Egg  Plant  has  been  grown  in  his  sec- 


204  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

tion  this  season,  and  that  it  has  been  a  wonder  to  the 
good  people  of  that  place,  and  they  wish  for  more  light 
on  its  culture  and  uses.  This  gentleman  says  that  the 
earliest  and  best  fruit  is  produced  on  the  plants  last  set 
out  (June  10th),  and  seems  to  wonder  that  such  should 
be  the  case. 

His  experience  here  teaches  a  forcible  lesson  on  tho 
subject  that  we  so  often  dwell  upon,  cautioning  against 
the  sowing  or  planting  of  tender  kinds,  such  as  Tomato, 
Egg  Plant,  Cucumber  or  Melon,  too  early.  In  the  lati- 
tude of  New  York,  Egg  Plants  should  never  be  sown  in 
hot-beds  sooner  than  April  20th,  the  temperature  of  the 
hot-bed  to  be  not  less  than  seventy  degrees  at  night. 
The  plant  at  no  season  of  its  growth  should  be  kept  for 
any  length  of  time  at  a  lower  average  temperature  than 
seventy  degrees. 

The  experiment  of  my  correspondent  demonstrated 
that  his  plants,. planted  in  open  air  on  May  19th,  were 
inferior  to  those  set  out  on  June  10th.  Egg  Plants, 
when  they  first  germinate,  are  very  sensitive  to  damp  and 
to  being  chilled,  and  the  amateur  often  fails  to  raise 
them,  even  with  his  hot-bed.  But  as  they  are  now  grown 
in  all  large  towns,  those  wishing  to  try  them,  and  not 
having  the  proper  means  of  raising  the  plants,  can  pro- 
cure them  at  trifling  expense  from  the  market  gardeners 
or  florists  of  their  nearest  town.  The  soil  in  which  they 
fruit  best  is  a  light,  sandy  loam,  well  enriched  by  decayed 
stable  manure. 

The  Egg  Fruit  is  fit  for  use  from  the  time  it  is  the 
size  of  a  turkey's  egg  until  it  is  full  grown,  say  five 
inches  in  diameter ;  but  it  is  not  so  good  when  the  seeds 
become  hard,  and  indicate  an  appearance  of  ripening. 

The  soil  in  which  Egg  Plants  are  to  be  grown  can 
hardly  be  too  rich,  for  it  is  a  plant  that  will  generally 
repay  good  treatment.  They  are  planted  from  two  to 
three  feet  apart,  according  to  the  degree  of  richness  of 


VEGETABLES— EGG    I'LAXT.  205 

soil ;  in  the  fertile  market  gardens  never  less  than  three 
feet.  Although  their  sale  is  comparatively  limited,  yet, 
from  the  difficulties  often  experienced  in  raising  the 
plants,  all  that  arc  offered  are  sold  at  good  prices  ;  the 
average  is  about  $1  per  dozen,  each  plant  producing  six 
to  nine  full-sized  fruit.  It  is  more  important  with  this 
vegetable  to  select  the  proper  variety  for  growing  than 
with  any  other  that  I  know  ;  for  that  reason  we  are 


Fig'.  47. — NEW  YORK  IMPROVED  EGG 
PLANT. 


Fig.  48.— BLACK  PEKIW  EGG 
PLANT. 


chary  of  touching  any  other  sorts  for  market  purposes 
than  the  "New  York  Improved"  and  "Black  Pekin." 

New  York  Improved, — (See  figure  47.)  This  is  or.r 
leading  market  variety,  and  is  readily  distinguishable 
from  either  the  Large  Round  or  Long  Purple  varieties  in 
the  plant  being  more  robust  in  all  its  parts,  the  leaves 
and  stems  also  being  thickly  studded  with  spines,  which 
are  not  found  to  any  great  extent  on  the  other  varieties. 
A  productive  and  excellent  variety. 


£06  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

Long  Purple, — Different  in  shape  from  the  foregoing; 
sometimes  deep  purple,  and  again  pale,  with  white  or 
yellowish  stripes.  Early,  productive,  and  of  easy  cul- 
ture. 

Black  Pekin, —  (See  figure  48.)  A  comparatively 
new  variety  of  superior  excellence  ;  fruit  glossy,  deep 
purple,  almost  black,  of  globular  form  and  very  solid.  It 
is  earlier  and  more  productive  than  the  New  York  Im- 
proved, and  much  superior  in  flavor,  and  is  now  selling 
rather  better  in  our  New  York  markets. 

White-fruited  Egg-  Plant,— Similar  in  growth  to  the 
Long  Purple,  but  the  fruit  is  larger,  and  of  an  ivory  white- 
ness. It  is  good  when  cooked,  but  much  less  productive, 
and,  like  the  Scarlet,  which  is  almost  identical  except  in 
color,  is  grown  more  for  curiosity  and  ornament. 


ENDIVE. — (Cichorium  Endivia.) 

The  cultivation  of  this  vegetable  for  market  purposes 
is  not  yet  extensive,  it  being  used  by  few  except  our  Ger- 
man and  French  population.  It  is,  however,  offered  now 
by  the  wagon  load,  where  a  few  years  ago  a  few  basketf uls 
would  have  supplied  all  the  demand.  Like  all  other 
vegetables  that  are  grown  in  limited  quantities,  it  com- 
mands a  high  price,  and  the  few  who  do  raise  it  find  it 
very  profitable. 

Like  Lettuce,  it  may  be  sown  at  any  time,  from  early 
spring  until  August,  and  perfect  its  crop  the  season  of 
sowing.  As  it  is  used  almost  exclusively  in  the  fall 
months,  the  main  sowings  are  made  in  June  and  July, 
from  which  plantations  are  formed,  at  one  foot  apart  each 
way,  in  August  and  September.  It  requires  no  special 
soil  or  manure,  and,  after  planting,  it  is  kept  clear  of 
weeds  by  hoeing  and  weeding,  until  the  plant  has  attained 
its  full  size,  when  the  process  of  blanching  begins  ;  for  it 


VEGETABLES — ENDIVE.  20? 

is  never  used  except  when  blanched,  as  it  is  harsh  and 
bitter  in  the  green  state. 

Blanching  is  effected  by  gathering  up  the  leaves,  and 
tying  them  up  by  their  tips  in  a  conical  form,  with  bass 
matting.  This  excludes  the  light  and  air  from  the  inner 
leaves,  which,  in  the  course  of  three  to  six  weeks, 
according  to  the  temperature  at  the  time,  become 
blanched. 

Another  method  of  blanching  is  much  simpler  and 
quicker,  and  is  the  one  mostly  practiced  by  those  who 
grow  Endive  for  market ;  it  consists  simply  in  covering 


Fig.  4'J. — GREEN  CURLED  ENDIVE. 

up  the  plants  as  they  grow,  with  slates  or  boards,  which 
serves  the  same  purpose,  by  excluding  the  light,  as  the 
tying  up.  The  average  price  during  the  months  of 
October,  November  and  December  is  fifty  cents  per 
dozen. 

The  best  sorts  are  the  following  : 

Green  Curled, — (See  figure  49.)  This  is  not  only  one 
of  the  most  useful  as  a  salad,  but  is  highly  ornamental 
from  its  delicately  cut  and  curled  leaves  ;  it  is  much  used 
for  garnishing. 

Moss  Curled. — This  variety  is  now  common,  and  is 
being  extensively  cultivated.  From  the  density  of  the 
foliage;  the  plant  is  heavier  than  the  Green  Curled,  is 


208  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

equally  agreeable  as  a  salad,  and  its  appearance,  either 
green  or  blanched,  is  particularly  handsome,  and  is  now 
being  much  used  for  garnishing  in  our  best  hotels. 

Broad-leaved  Ratavian. — A  loose  growing  variety, 
forming  but  little  heart.  As  with  this  blanching  can 
only  be  accomplished  by  tying  up,  it  is  not  so  desirable  as 
either  of  the  preceding. 


GAELIC. •-- (Attiu m  sativum.) 

Another  vegetable  used  mostly  by  foreigners.  It  is  of 
the  easiest  culture,  growing  freely  on  any  soil  suitable  for 
onions.  It  is  propagated  by  divisions  of.  the  bulb,  called 
"cloves"  or  "sets."  These  are  planted  in  early  spring, 
in  rows  one  foot  apart,  and  from  four  to  six  inches 
between  the  plants  in  the  rows.  The  crop  matures  in 
August,  when  it  is  harvested  like  the  Onion.  It  is 
always  sold  in  the  dry  state. 


HORSERADISH.— (Nasturtium  Armoracia.) 

This  root  is  an  important  crop,  upwards  of  five 
hundred  acres  of  it  being  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  alone,  and  for  the  last  twenty  years  there  has 
been  nothing  grown  from  which  we  have  realized  more 
profit  as  a  second  crop.  It  is  always  grown  as  a  second 
crop  in  the  following  manner  : 

In  preparing-  the  roots  for  market  during  winter,  all 
the  small  rootlets  are  broken  off  and  reserved  for  plant- 
ing, leaving  nothing  but  the  main  root,  which  is  usually 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  long,  and  weighing  about 
three-quarters  of  a  pound.  The  rootlets,  or  sets,  are  cuj: 
into  pieces  of  from  four  to  six  inches  in  length,  from 


VEGETABLES — HORSERADISH.  209 

one-quarter  to  one-half  an  inch  in  diameter  ;  these  are 
tied  in  bundles  of  from  fifty  to  sixty,  the  top  end  being 
cut  square  and  the  bottom  end  slanting  (see  figure  50), 
so  that  in  planting  there  will  be  no  danger  of  setting  the 
root  upside  down  ;  for  although  it  would  grow  if  planted 
thus,  it  would  not  make  a  handsome  root. 

The  sets,  when  prepared,  are  stowed  away  in  boxes  of 
sand,  care  being  taken 
that  a   sufficiency  of 

sand  is  pat  between  Fjg  5a_SOKSERADISH  SEI_ 

each  layer  of  bundles 

to  prevent  their  heating.  They  may  either  be  kept  in 
the  boxes  in  a  cool  cellar,  or  jitted  in  the  open  ground, 
as  may  be  most  convenient.  We  prefer  the  open  ground, 
when  the  weather  will  permit. 

I  have  said  that  Horseradish  is  always  cultivated  as  a 
second  crop.  With  us,  it  usually  succeeds  our  Early 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower  or  Beets.  Thus  we  plant  Early 
Cabbage,  lining  out  the  ground  with  the  one-foot  marker  ; 
on  every  alternate  line  are  first  planted  Early  Cabbages, 
which  stand,  when  planted,  at  two  feet  between  the  rows 
and  sixteen  or  eighteen  inches  between  the  plants.  We 
always  finish  our  entire  planting  before  we  put  in  the 
Horseradish,  which  delays  it  generally  to  about  1st  of 
May.  It  is  then  planted  between  the  rows  of  Cabbage, 
and  at  about  the  same  distance  as  the  -  Cabbage  is  in  the 
rows,  giving  about  13,000  or  13,000  plants  per  acre. 

The  planting  is  performed  by  making  a  hole  about 
eight  or  ten  inches  deep  with  a  long  planting  stick  or 
light  crowbar,  into  which  is  dropped  the  Horseradish  set, 
so  that  its  top  will  be  two  or  three  inches  under  the  sur- 
face ;  if  the  sets  should  be  longer  the  hole  should  be 
made  proportionally  deep,  so  that  the  top  of  the  set  is 
not  nearer  the  surface-  than  two  or  three  inches  ;  the 
earth  is  pressed  in  alongside  the  set,  so  as  to  fill  up  the 
hole,  as  in  ordinary  planting. 


210  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

The  main  reason  for  planting  the  set  so  far  under  the 
surface  is  to  delay  its  coming  up  until  the  crop  of  Cab- 
bage be  cleared  off.  The  Horseradish  makes  its  main 
growth  in  the  fall,  so  that  it  is  no  injury  to  it  to  keep  it 
from  growing  until  July;  in  fact,  it  often  happens  that 
by  being  planted  too  near  the  surface,  or  too  early,  it 
starts  to  grow  so  as  to  interfere  with  the  Cabbage  crop;  in 
such  cases,  we  have  often  to  cut  the  tops  off  twice  with  the 
hoe  before  the  Cabbage  is  ready,  but  this  does  not  injure 
it  in  the  least. 

It  is  a  crop  with  which  there  is  very  little  labor  during 
summer  ;  after  the  Cabbage  has  been  cut  off,  the  Horse- 
radish is  allowed  to  grow  at  will,  and  as  it  quickly  covers 
the  ground,  one  good  deep  stirring  by  hoe  or  cultivator 
is  all  that  is  required  aftei  digging  out  the  Cabbage 
stumps. 

When  grown  between  Early  Beets  the  culture  is,  in  all 
respects,  the  same,  only  it  is  more  profitable  to  have  the 
rows  of  Beets  only  eighteen  inches  apart ;  this,  of  course, 
throws  the  Horseradish  nearer,  so  that  when  grown  be- 
tween Beets  it  should  be  planted  at  the  distance  of  two 
feet  between  the  plants  in  the  rows,  making  about  the 
same  number  of  plants  per  acre  as  when  planted  between 
early  Cabbages. 

As  it  is  an  entirely  hardy  plant,  it  /s  one  of  the  last 
roots  we  dig  up  in  fall,  it  being  usually  delayed  until 
December.  After  digging^  the  small  roots  are  usually 
broken  off  in  the  field  and  stowed  away  in  boxes,  so  that 
they  can  be  trimmed  under  cover  at  leisure.  The  main 
root  is  then  put  away  in  the  pits,  as  recommended  in 
Winter  Preservation  of  Vegetables,  so  that  it  can  be  got 
at  as  required  during  winter.  The  preparation  for 
market  is  very  simple,  being  merely  to  cut  off  the  green 
tops  and  small  rootlets,  leaving  the  main  root  only,  as 
represented,  in  reduced  size,  by  figure  51.  It  is  sold  by 
weight,  and  is  generally  washed,  which  is  done  suffi- 


VEGETABLES — HORSERADISH, 


ciently  by  rinsing  a  quantity  of  it  together  in  a  large 
tub. 

Our  manner  of  growing  Horseradish  in  this  district, 
we  claim  to  be  a  great  advance  on  the  methods  generally 
practised.  All  American  writers  on  the  subject  that  I 
have  seen,  follow  in  the  same  track,  and  recommend 
planting  the  croivns.  This  would  not 
only  destroy  the  most  salable  part  of  the 
root,  but  when  planted  thus,  the  crowns 
will  produce  only  a  sprawling  lot  of  root- 
lets that  are  utterly  unsalable  in  the 
market.  They  also  tell  us  that  "  after 
two  seasons  growth  the  roots  will  be  fit 
for  use."  Now,  my  experience  in  grow- 
ing this  root  has  most  emphatically  told 
me  that,  after  two  seasons  growth,  it  is 
entirely  unfit  for  use,  or  at  least  unfit 
for  sale,  which  I  suppose  is  about  the 
same  thing.  Twenty  years  ago,  one  of 
my  neighbors  had  a  patch  of  about  two 
acres,  which  from  some  cause  or  other 
he  had  neglected  to  have  dug  until  late 
in  spring,  and  concluded,  as  it  was  then 
rather  late  to  sell  it,  he  would  leave  it  to 
grow  over  until  next  season.  On  commencing  to  dig  it 
the  next  fall,  he  found  that  the  main  root,  instead  of 
being  solid,  as  it  is  at  one  one  year  old,  had  become  par- 
tially hollow  and  of  a  woody,  stringy  nature,  and  when 
offered  to  manufacturers  it  was  refused  at  any 'price. 
So  there  was  no  help  for  it  but  to  dig  up  and  throw  away 
his  entirely  worthless  crop  at  a  most  unusual  expense,  as 
its  two  year's  growth  had  massed  the  whole  soil  with 
roots.  This  experiment  of  my  neighbor  was  a  loss  to 
him  of  certainly  not  less  than  $1,500,  as  the  price  then 
was  higher  than  now. 

Grown  in  the  deep  rich  soil  of  our  market  gardens, 


\  51.  — HORSE- 
RADISH. 


212 


GARDEXItfG   FOR   PROFIT. 


Horseradish  has  been  for  the  past  thirty  years,  one  of 
our  most  profitable  second  crops,  and  as  an  encourage- 
ment to  beginners,  I  will  state  that  the  prico  has  still 
kept  sufficiently  high  to  make  it  a  fairly  profitable  crop. 
Our  average  weight  per  acre  is  five  tons,  or  a  little  over 
three-quarters  of  a  pound  per  root  for  12,000  planted. 
Its  average  price  is  now  about  $100  per  ton.  But  there 
is  one  thing  to  be  remembered  :  these  heavy  crops  are 
only  obtained  in  our  gardens  that  are  in  the  highest 
state  of  culture  ;  no  ordinary  farm  land,  the  first  season, 
manure  it  as  you  might,  will  produce  such  results. 


KOHLRABI,  OB  TURNIP-ROOTED  CABBAGE. 

(Brassica  oleracea.     Far.) 

In  general  appearance,  this  vegetable  more  resembles  a 
Kuta  Baga  Turnip  than  a  Cabbage,  though  it  is  more 

generally  classed  with  the  lat- 
ter. It  is  best  cultivated  by 
sowing  the  seeds  in  rows  in 
May,  June,  or  July,  according 
to  latitude.  In  this  district  we 
sow  throughout  June,  for  suc- 
cession in  rows  eighteen  inches 
apart,  thinning  out  to  about 
eight  or  ten  inches  between  the 
plants.  It  is  rather  difficult  to 
transplant,  and  we  generally 
prefer  to  sow  the  whole  crop 
from  seed,  and  thin  out  where 
it  stands  ;  although  when  the 
weather  is  suitable,  the  thin- 
nings may  be  planted  at  the  distances  above  named. 
It  is  sold  in  our  markets  in  fall  in  the  green  state  in 
bunches  containing  three  roots,  at  an  average  price  of 


Fig.  52.— KOHLRABI. 


VEGETABLES — KOHLRABI — LEEK.  213 

seventy-five  cents  per  dozen  bunches.  As  it  is  not  in 
general  use,  its  sale  is  limited.  The  varieties  mostly 
cultivated  are  : 

Early  White  Vienna,— This  is  greenish-white  outside  ; 
flesh  white  and  tender  while  young.  The  best  condition 
for  use  is  when  the  root  is  from  three  to  four  inches  in 
diameter ;  if  younger  it  partakes  too  much  of  the  taste 
of  the  Cabbage,  'and  when  older  it  is  dry  and  stringy. 
The  best  market  sort. 

Early  Purple  Vienna, — Almost  identical  with  the 
preceding,  except  in  color,  which  is  a  bluish-purple. 


LEEK,— (Allium  Porrum.) 

The  Leek  is  another  vegetable  that  is  exclusively 
grown  as  a  second  crop.  The  seed  is  sown  in  April  in 
rows  one  foot  apart  in  ground  well  prepared,  as  recom- 
mended for  the  Celery  seed-bed  ;  and,  like  all  seed-beds, 
it  is  kept  scrupulously  clear  of  weeds.  The  best  time  of 
planting  is  the  same  as  that  for  all  our  second  crops — 
during  July,  or  as  soon  as  the  first  or  spring  crop  can 
be.  cleared  on0.  The  ground  can  hardly  be  too  rich  for 
Leeks,  and,  when  time  will  allow,  we  always  contrive  to 
get  in  a  slight  additional  coat  of  manure  for  this  crop ; 
the  spring  dressing,  large  as  it  always  is,  hardly  being 
sufficient.  The  ground  being  well  prepared  by  plowing 
and  harrowing,  lines  are  marked  out  by  the  marker  at 
one  foot  apart,  and  the  Leeks  planted  on  each  line  at 
five  or  six  inches  apart ;  we  do  not  earth  up,  but  instead 
plant  rather  deeply.  As  it  is  a  plant  the  foliage  of 
which  is  but  little  spreading,  great  care  must  be  taken 
that  weeds  arc  never  allowed  to  get  ahead,  for  if  they 
do,  they  may  soon  entirely  envelop  the  crop  to  its  total 
destruction. 


214 


GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 


It  is  a  vegetable  used  mostly  in  winter  and  spring,  and 
requires  to  be  dug  up,  in  this  vicinity,  in  November,  as 
otherwise  it  would  be  injured  by  our  severe  winters,  but 
in  milder  sections,  it  is  better  left  standing  where  it  grew. 
It  is  quite  a  hardy  vegetable,  so  that 
twenty  or  twenty-five  degrees  below 
freezing  will  not  injure  it.  It  is 
preserved  by  the  market  gardeners 
here  in  trenches,  exactly  as  Celery  is 
preserved  (see  Chapter  on  Celery.) 
Large  quantities  are  sold  in  our 
Northern  markets  at  fairly  remunera- 
tive rates,  although,  from  the  nature 
of  the  plant,  it  requires  perhaps  more 
labor  than  any  other  vegetable  to 
prepare  it  for  market.  Figure  53 
represents  the  Musselburgh  Leek, 
trimmed  previous  to  being  bunched 
up  for  market.  From  six  to  eight 
roots  are  tied  in  each  bunch,  which 
bring  in  the  market  upon  an  average, 
throughout  the  season,  about  fifty  cents  per  dozen 
bunches.  We  plant  about  85,000  plants  on  an  acre. 

The  two  varieties  used  are  known  as  Musselburgh  and 
London  Flag.  The  former  is  rather  preferred  in  market, 
being  usually  larger,  but  there  is  but  little  choice  be- 
tween them. 


Fig.  53. — MUSSELBURGH 
LEEK. 


LETTUCE.— {Lactuca  sativa.) 

Perhaps  there  is  no  plant  of  the  garden  that  we  could 
so  ill  afford  to  dispense  with  as  Lettuce.  Its  cultivation 
is  universal  by  all  classes,  and  from  its  tractable  nature 
and  freedom  from  nearly  all  insects  and  diseases,  it  is 
manageable  in  the  hands  of  every  one.  In  a  well-ap- 


VEGETABLES — LETTUCE.  215 

pointed  market  garden  it  is  the  most  important  vegetable 
cultivated,  engaging  our  attention  throughout  the  entire 
year,  either  in  the  open  ground  in  summer,  in  forcing 
houses  or  hot-beds  in  winter,  or  in  cold  frames  in  spring. 
As  our  mode  of  growing  it  under  glass  is  sufficiently 
described  in  treating  of  pits,  frames,  etc.,  I  will  in  this 
place  confine  myself  to  our  system  of  cultivating  it  out  of 
doors. 

For  our  main  early  crop,  that  is  sold  from  the  open 
ground  in  the  latter  part  of  May  or  first  of  June,  the 
seed  is  sown  the  previous  season  in  the  open  ground, 
from  the  15th  to  25th  of  September.  These  plants  are 
usually  large  enough  to  be  planted  in  frames  four  or 
five  weeks  later,  as  recommended  for  Cabbage  plants  ; 
about  600  or  700  are  planted  under  a  three  by  six  sash. 
Occasionally  we  sow  seed  thinly  in  the  frame  in  fall  and  do 
not  transplant  them,  as  it  saves  a  great  amount  of  labor, 
but  they  are  not  quite  so  good  plants  as  those  trans- 
planted, as  it  is  difficult  to  sow  them  so  that  they  come 
up  at  the  regular  degree  of  thickness.  The  winter  treat- 
ment of  Lettuce  plants  in  every  way  similar  to  that 
described  for  Cabbage  plants.  In  dry,  well-sheltered 
spots,  by  covering  up  with  leaves  or  litter,  late  in  the 
season,  say  middle  of  December,  Lettuce  plants,  par- 
ticularly of  the  more  hardy  kinds,  such  as  Boston  Mar- 
ket and  Butter,  may  be  saved  over  winter  without  glass 
covering,  in  southern  parts  of  the  country  without  dif- 
ficulty. Like  most  plants  that  we  term  hardy,  twenty 
degrees  of  frost  will  not  injure  them.  The  plants  for 
setting  out  in  spring  are  also  sown  in  cold  frames  in 
February,  and  in  hot-beds  in  March.  (See  Chapter 
on  "  Spring  Eaising  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Let- 
tuce.") To  economize  not  only  in  space,  but  in  manure, 
we  make  every  foot  of  our  gardens  available,  so  that 
when  we  come  to  plant  out  our  Lettuce  in  March  or 
April,  instead  of  setting  it  in  a  bed  exclusively  for 


216  GARDENING    FOR    PiiOFIT. 

itself,  it  is  planted  at  the  same  time  and  between  the 
rows  of  Early  Cabbage  or  Cauliflower,  which  are  set  at 
two  feet  apart.  The  Lettuce  matures  its  crop  in  half 
the  time  that  it  takes  for  the  Cabbage,  and  is  conse- 
quently all  cut  off  and  marketed  before  the  Cabbage  is 
half  grown.  If  it  were  not  so,  they  could  not  be  both 
grown  at  once  on  the  same  ground,  for,  when  the  Cab- 
bage crop  attains  its  growth,  it  requires  the  full  space 
allowed — two  feet — for  its  development. 

This  early  crop  of  Lettuce  from  the  open  ground  is 
considered  rather  an  auxiliary  than  a  main  one ;  it  meets 
with  a  rapid  sale  at  an  average  of  $1.50  per  100  heads. 
Rather  a  low  price,  it  may  be  thought ;  but  growers  hav- 
ing only  ten  acres  of  ground  not  unirequently  plant  over 
100,000  heads.  It  is  planted  somewhat  closer  than  Cab- 
bage, usually  about  15,000  per  acre. 

For  succession  crops  of  Lettuce,  sowings  may  be  made 
in  the  open  ground  as  early  as  spring  opens  until  July. 
"When  not  planted  between  Cabbage,  they  are  set  at  one 
foot  apart  each  way.  They  are  sold  to  some  extent 
throughout  the  whole  summer,  but  the  great  weight  of 
the  crop  is  sold  about  the  first  week  of  June  in  New 
York  markets.  The  summer  price  of  Lettuce  is  very 
variable,  as  the  supply  is  often  irregular  ;  it  may  average 
$2  per  100. 

The  passenger  in  Elevated  Railroad  cars  going  from 
Sixtieth  Street  to  Harlem,  on  New  York  Island,  may  yet 
see,  any  day  from  June  to  October,  little  patches  of  vege- 
tation of  different  shades  of  green,  ranged  in  uniform 
and  regular  lines.  These  are  the  " salad  patches, "culti- 
vated mainly  by  German  market  gardeners  ;  they  range 
from  two  acres  down  to  a  quarter  of  an  acre  in  area.  It 
seems  a  wonder  that  the  cultivation  of  such  a  small  plot  of 
earth  should  give  an  able-bodied  man  a  living  ;  but  a  liv- 
ing it  does  give  in  nearly  all  cases,  and  some  have  quite  a 
respectable  surplus  for  a  "rainy  day." 


VEGETABLES — LETTUCE.  217 

The  manner  of  growing  the  Lettuce  for  the  first  or 
early  crop,  is  the  same  as  that  practiced  by  the  market 
gardeners  of  New  Jersey  or  Long  Island,  namely,  using 
plants  from  seed  sown  in  fall  that  have  been  wintered 
over  under  sashes,  and  planted  out  as  early  as  the  ground 
is  fit  to  work,  which,  in  these  warm  nooks  (in  most  cases 
at  the  base  of  rocky  elevations),  is  often  as  early  as  the 
first  week  in  March.  In  some  particularly  favored  spots 
the  Lettuce  is  planted  out  in  the  first  week  of  October, 
and,  if  it  remains  unscathed  during  winter,  comes  in  in 
such  fine  condition  for  market  in  May  as  to  well  repay 
the  risk.  The  variety  used  for  this  purpose  is  the  "  Brown 
Dutch." 

In  any  section  of  the  country  where  the  thermometer 
never  falls  lower  than  ten  degrees  above  zero,  Lettuce 
sown  the  first  week  in  September  and  planted  out  the 
first  week  of  October  in  sheltered  spots  in  dry  soils,  will 
be  almost  certain  to  "  winter  over,"  and  give  a  crop  in 
spring  earlier  than  if  treated  by  any  other  method. 

A  plan  of  recent  introduction  for  the  summer  growing 
of  Lettuce,  is  to  mark  out  lines  one  foot  each  way  across 
the  bed,  and  at  the  intersection  of  the  lines  six  or  eight 
seeds  are  planted,  pressed  down  and  slightly  covered. 
These  in  the  summer  months  germinate  in  a  few  days. 
When  the  plants  are  an  inch  or  so  high,  they  are  all  taken 
out  but  one  plant.  This  is  a  quicker  and  better  plan 
than  planting  in  hot  summer  weather,  as  the  Lettuce 
plant  at  that  season  is  somewhat  difficult  to  transplant. 
Succession  sowings-  should  be  made  every  two  or  three 
weeks. 

To  return  to  the  New  York  City  growers.  The  varieties 
grown  under  glass  and  first  planted  out  in  spring  are 
usually  the  "Butter"  and  "Curled  Simpson,"  both 
white  and  black  seeded.  As  soon  as  the  crop  is  planted 
out,  sowings  are  made  for  a  succession  ;  this  time  of  the 
"  Salamander"  and  the  "  New  York,"  the  "Simpson  ;? 


218  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

being  unfitted  for. the  warm  weather  at  which  this  sowing 
would  mature. 

The  crop  planted  out  in  March,  matures  by  the  end  of 
May  or  1st  of  June,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  cut  off,  the 
ground  is  plowed  or  dug  over,  and  the  plants  from  the 
March  sowings  are  set.  Another  sowing  is  made  for 
plants  to  succeed  these  again,  and  so  on  during  the  entire 
season,  the  rule  being  to  sow  seed  at  each  time  of  plant- 
ing. Four  crops  of  Lettuce  are  usually  taken  from  June 
to  October,  or  nearly  a  crop  each  month. 

The  plants  are  set  about  a  foot  apart  each  way,  and 
will  average  one  cent  per  head,  so  that  the  four  crops 
give  a  return  of  nearly  $2,000  per  acre.  This  seems  like  an 
immense  return  for  an  acre,  but  though  the  net  profits 
are  respectable,  there  are  some  serious  disadvantages 
attending  the  cultivation.  Few,  or  none,  of  these  men  are 
owners  of  the  land  in  New  York  City,  nor  in  hardly  any 
instance  have  they  a  lease.  They  are  tenants  at  will,  and 
pay  a  yearly  rental,  in  some  instances,  of  $250  per  acre. 
Many  of  our  country  readers  may  think  that  an  extra 
cipher  has  been  added  to  the  amount,  but  they  must 
recollect  that  the  value  of  some  of  these  "  salad  patches," 
as  they  are  called,  is  $8,000  per  city  lot,  or  over  $100,000 
per  acre,  so  that  the  paltry  rental  of  $250  per  acre  hardly 
pays  the  interest  on  the  amount  of  taxes.  The  following 
figures  were  given  me  by  one  of  the  best  and  largest  grow- 
ers, whose  patch  was  two  acres  : 

Kent.-  .-..$4-00 

Manure 250 

Labor  of  three  men  for  six  months 750 

Horse  keep  and  incidentals ...  .  -  450 

81,850 

Four  crops  Lettuce,  estimated  at $4,000 

Expenditures -  1,850 

Annual  profits  for  two  acres $2,150 

This  was  in  1874  ;  it  is  probable  that  now  the  profits 
would  be  quite  one-third  less. 


VEGETABLES — LETTUCE.  219 

A  pretty  good  profit,  but  deservedly  earned,  for  to 
attain  this  result  the  grower  works  early  and  late.  It 
must  not  be  supposed  that  five  acres  could  be  cultivated 
by  one  man  with  the  above  profit.  The  loss  from  inade- 
quate hired  labor,  and  the  difficulties  of  selling  large 
quantities  of  a  quickly  perishable  crop,  would  be  likely 
to  make  the  attempt  to  largely  increase  the  area  culti- 
vated a  failure.  Besides,  Lettuce  is  only  used  to  a  lim- 
ited extent  in  the  summer  and  fall  months,  and  if  grown 
in  the  quantities  that  it  is  in  spring,  could  not  be  sold, 
yet  in  all  large  cities  it  is  used  more  or  less  at  all  seasons, 
and  commands,  for  limited  quantities,  usually  a  higher 
price  than  in  spring,  the  season  of  its  greatest  consump- 
tion. No  doubt  the  system  of  our  New  York  City  Let- 
tuce growers  might  be  successfully  and  profitably  followed 
in  the  neighborhood  of  many  other  cities  and  large  towns. 

The  varieties  of  Lettuce  used  for  the  different  purposes 
of  forwarding  and  forcing, 
and  for  out-door  culture 
in  spring  and  summer,  are 
of  more  importance  than 
with  most  vegetables.  I 
once  lost  almost  my  entire 
crop  of  Frame  Lettuce, 
from  planting  the  Curled 
India,  a  summer  variety, 
instead  of  the  Curled  Simp-  Fis-  ^.-EARLY  C.-RLED  SIMPSON 

i    •    T       T     i        -i  ,     »  LETTUCE. 

son,  which  I  had  got  from 

a   well-meaning   but    not   very   learned    friend,    whose 

hieroglyphics  had  got  transposed. 

Early  Curled  Simpson.— (See  figure  54).  This  is  still 
the  most  generally  useful  variety  for  all  purposes,  and  so 
I  place  it  at  the  head  of  the  list.  Properly  speaking,  it 
doss  not  head,  but  forms  a  close,  compact  mass  of  leaves, 
which  are  of  a  yellowish  shade  of  green  and  much  curled. 


220  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

This  peculiarity  allows  it  to  mature  quicker  than  varie- 
ties that  form  firm  heads,  and  gives  it  its  great  desidera- 
tum— earliness.  It  is  the  kind  that  is  largely  planted 
in  cold  frames,  although  not  so  largely  as  the  Boston 
Market;  it  is  also  largely  grown  as  an  early  open  air 
variety  between  the  rows  of  the  Cabbage  crop. 

Black  Seeded  Simpson. — (See  figure  55.)  Like  the 
Curled  Simpson,  this  variety  does  not  form  a  head  proper, 
but  it  differs  from  the  preceding  in  being  much  lighter 
colored,  the  leaves  being  creamy  yellow  ;  it  attains  a  size 


l?ig.  55. — BLACK  SEEDED   SIMPSON  LETTUCE. 

nearly  double  that  of  the  Curled  Simpson.  It  stands  the 
summer  heat  well,  while  it  is  equally  suited  for  forcing. 
On  account  of  its  large  size,  however,  it  might  not,  under 
some  circumstances,  prove  so  profitable  as  a  strictly 
forcing  sort,  such  as  the  Boston  Market. 

Black  Seeded  Tennis  Ball.— A  favorite  forcing  vari- 
ety, and,  as  the  name  indicates,  forming  a  hard  head. 
It  makes  few  outer  leaves,  and  for  this  reason  can  be 
planted  quite  closely  under  glass — from  six  to  seven 
inches  apart.  It  is  the  variety  so  largely  used  in  our  hot- 
beds and  forcing-pits  in  greenhouses. 


VEGETABLES — LETTUCE.  221 

Boston  Market,  or  White  Seeded  Tennis  Ball,— This 

is  an  improved  variety  of  the  Tennis  Ball  which  attains 
a  larger  size.  It  grows  very  compact,  is  beautifully  white 
and  crisp,  and  is  one  of  the  very  best  varieties  for  forcing  ; 
in  our  opinion  it  is  preferable  to  Black  Seeded  Tennis 
Ball. 

Salamander, — (See  figure  56.)  A  grand  Lettuce  for 
summer  use,  forming 
good  -  sized,  compact 
heads ;  in  color  it  is 
light  green  outside  and 
white  on  the  inside.  Its 
great  merit  is  that  it 
will  withstand  drouth 
and  heat,  and  remain 
longer  in  head  without 

,  .  Fiff.  56. — SALAMANDER  LETTUCE. 

bursting,  than  any  other 

variety  except  the  "  New  York."    Is  largely  grown  for 

Philadelphia  and  New  York  markets. 

Yellow  Seeded  Butter, — Like  the  Salamander,  this 
stands  the  summer's  heat  well.  It  is  a  very  distinct  sort, 
making  a  large,  dense,  yellow  head,  very  crisp  and  tender, 
and  of  excellent  flavor.  Its  beautiful  yellow  heart  gives 
it  a  very  handsome  appearance. 

Lanrc  White  Summer  (-ahba^e,— One  of  the  very  best 
late  varieties  for  summer;  heads  of  good. size,  close,  and 
well  formed.  It  is  a  splendid  market  variety. 

New  York, — (See  figure  57.)  This  is  a  remarkable 
summer  Lettuce  introduced  in  the  spring  of  1886  ;  the 
size  and  solidity  of  its  head  are  unusual.  We  have  seen 
it  eighteen  inches  in  diameter  and  weighing  nearly  four 
pounds,  with  heads  almost  as  solid  as  an  Early  Summer 
Cabbage,  which  in  form  it  somewhat  resembles.  It 
blanches  itself  naturally,  is  crisp,  tender,  and  ol  excel- 


GARDENING    FOB   PROFIT. 


lent  flavor.     It  will  not  do  for  forcing,  but  is  almost 
certain  to  prove  one  of  the  best  summer  varieties,  as  the 


.   57. — NEW  YORK  LETTUCE. 

trials  in  my  Experimental  Grounds  for  the  past  two  years 
show  it  to  be  the  last  of  fifty  kinds  to  run  to  seed. 

All   the  Year   Round.— 

As  its  name  implies,  it  is 
one  of  the  best  for  general 
crop.  Heads  of  medium 
size,  solid,  of  dark  green 
color. 


Paris  White  Cos,— (See 
figure  58.)  Although  the 
Cos  varieties  of  Lettuce  are 
not  so  suitable  for  our  cli- 
mate (as  they  tend  too 
quickly  to  run  to  seed),  as 
the  varieties  previously 
Fig.58.— PABIS  WHITE  cos  LETTUCE.  mentioiied,  yet  they  are 
sometimes  grown  in  the  early  spring  and  fall  for  private 
use,  though  I  have  never  seen  them  in  our  markets.  In 


VEGETABLES — MARJORAM — MELON.  223 

shape  they  differ  materially  from  the  other  varieties,  the 
head  being  elongated  and  of  conical  form,  eight  or  nine 
inches  in  height,  and  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter.  The 
color  of  this  variety  is  yellowish-green.  To  be  had  in 
perfection,  it  requires  to  be  tied  up  to  ensure  blanching. 
Millions  of  this  variety  are  annually  grown  to  supply  the 
markets  of  London  alone,  where  it  is  preferred  to  all 
others. 


MARJORAM.— SWEET.— (Origanum  Marjoram.) 

A  well-known  aromatic  herb,  grown  to  a  considerable 
extent  for  market  purposes ;  but  as  it  is  of  less  import- 
ance than  Thyme,  which  is  grown  very  largely  for  sale, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  that  head  for  all  information 
regarding  its  culture,  price,  etc.,  as  in  these  particulars 
they  are  entirely  identical. 


MELON.— MUSK— (Cucumis  Melo.) 

The  Melon  is  not  cultivated  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  in  the  market  gardens  proper,  but  to  a  large  extent 
in  what  may  be  called  the  farm  gardens  of  Long  Island 
and  New  Jersey.  There  it  is  grown -almost  in  the  same 
manner  as  they  grow  Corn,  planting  about  the  same 
time  and  cultivating  in  the  same  manner,  and  often  with 
bat  very  little  more  profit  per  acre  than  a  crop  of  Corn. 
But  the  Melon  is  a  fruit  easily  shipped,  and  when 
grown  by  the  forwarding  process  we  detail  for  Cucum- 
bers— by  planting  the  seeds  on  sods  under  glass — there 
is  no  question  but  that  it  can  be  made  equally  profitable 
in  all  respects  with  the  Cucumber,  when  grown  in  south- 
ern latitudes  for  our  northern  markets  ;  although,  like 
many  other  fruits  and  vegetables  so  easily  raised,  it  can 


224:  GARDENING   FOR   PRO-  O\ 

never  be  expected  to  be  very  profitable  if  sold  in  the 
district  in  which  it  is  grown.  It  is  a  plant  not  at  all 
particular  as  to  soil,  provided  it  be  not  wet  or  heavy. 
Moderately  enriched,  light  soils,  are  those  most  congenial 
to  it. 

For  open  field  culture,  Melons  should  be  planted  in  hills 
six  feet  each  way,  incorporating  well  with  the  soil  in 
each  hill  a  couple  of  shovelfuls  of  thoroughly  rotted 
manure.  Sow  four  or  five  seeds  in  each  hill,*  and  culti- 
vate afterward  as  for  Corn. 

A  clover  sod  is  especially  favorable  for  Melons.  The 
main  point  is  to  push  the  crop  forward  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, so  as  to  catch  the  high  prices  which  usually  rale 
for  an  early  crop.  One  of  the  Melon  growers  of  Hacken- 
sack,  New  Jersey,  admitted  to  me  that  he  had  lost  the 
whole  of  his  late  crop  by  withholding  the  expenditure  of 
$25  or  $30  for  guano  on  his  field  of  twelve  acres,  which, 
if  used  at  the  planting,  would  have  pushed  the  crop  for- 
ward six.  or  eight  days,  and  would  thus  have  saved  it 
from  an  early  fall  frost.  For  this  reason,  a  dressing  of 
guano  or  bone-meal,  well  mixed  with  the  soil,  should 
always  be  used  if  we  would  attain  the  most  profitable 
results.  It  is  a  crop  that  can  be  as  easily  raised  as  a 
crop  of  Corn,  and  when  sold  at  wholesale,  it  is  safe  to 
say,  will  always  pay  ar  profit  of  at  least  $100  per  acre. 
The  variety  most  preferred  for  this  section  is  that  known 
as  Hackensack,  which  is  grown  by  the  hundreds  of  acres 
for  the  New  York  market.  The  most  successful  growers 
greatly  increase  the  yield  of  this  crop  by  a  system  of 

*  The  term  "  hill,"  when  used  here  and  elsewhere,  means  but  a  slight 
elevation  of  the  surface,  and  is  used  only  as  a  convenient  term  to  denote 
where  the  seed  or  plant  is  to  be  planted.  But  from  the  signification  of 
the  word,  it  naturally  leads  the  novice  in  gardening  into  very  serious 
error,  by  causing  him  to  think  he  must  literally  raise  a  hill  on  which  to 
sow  or  plant,  and  in  consequence  we  too  frequently  see  plants  elevated 
on  little  knolls  a  foot  or  more  above  the  general  surface  from  which  the 
rain  slides,  and  on  which  the  sun  beats  to  their  utter  destruction. 


VEGETABLES— MELON.  225 

pinching  the  main  vine,  so  as  to  encourage  the  lateral 
shoots  upon  which  the  fruit  is  borne.  A  large  grower  in 
the  vicinity  of  Hackensack,  New  Jereey,  a  noted  locality 
in  this  respect,  gives  the  following  details  of  the  culture  : 

Melons  are  a  special  crop  which  needs  particular 
care  and  culture.  In  some  localities  they  are  grown  for 
market  in  great  quantities.  It  is  said  that,  on  one 
evening  in  1885,  160  two-horse  wagon  loads,  each  of 
about  1,000  Melons,  crossed  by  one  ferry  from  a  suburb 
of  New  York  City.  And  this  was  by  no  means  an  extra 
occasion.  The  Melon  season  lasts  from  July  into  Octo- 
ber, so  that  some  idea  may  be  gained  from  this  of  the 
magnitude  of  this  business.  The  crop  is  a  very  profit- 
able one  when  skilfully  cultivated,  and  often  realizes 
$500  to  $1,000  an  acre,  and  more  rarely  even  as  high  as 
$1,500,  when  the  Melons  are  the  first  in  the  market  and 
bring  the  highest  price  of  the  season.  But  as  with  other 
products,  these  large  profits  are  only  realized  by  those 
growers  whose  long  experience  and  skill  give  them  more 
than  usual  advantages.  The  methods,  however,  are  no 
secret,  and  any  one  who  will  follow  them  may  just  as 
easily  meet  with  the  same  success. 

The  most  suitable  soil  for  Melons  is  a  rich,  warm, 
deep,  sandy  loam,  having  a  southern  or  southwestern 
exposure.  The  latter  is  prefera&e,  as  it  gets  the  last 
rays  of  the  sun  and  the  soil  is  thus  warmed  up  for  the 
night,  and,  being  sheltered  from  eastern  and  northern 
winds,  retains  this  warmth  until  the  morning.  This 
may  make  several  days'  difference  in  the  ripening  of  the 
crop,  which  may  be  equivalent  to  $300  or  $400  an  acre 
in  the  value  of  the  fruit.  The  manner  of  culture  is 
as  follows  :  The  soil  is  plowed  in  the  fall  or  early  in  the 
spring  and  is  cross-plowed  the  first  days  of  May,  about 
twenty  loads  per  acre  of  manure  being  plowed  under,  in 
addition  to  the  special  manuring  for  each  hill.  The 
ground  is  then  well  harrowed  and  furrowed  out  six  feet 


226  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

apart  each  way.  A  good  shovelful  of  mixed  fine  manure 
and  night  soil,  together  with  a  small  handful  of  guano, 
is  used  in  each  hill,  being  mixed  with  the  soil,  for  nine 
inches  deep  and  twenty-four  inches  wide  ;  six  or  eight 
seeds  are  planted  in  each  hill.  The  first  planting  is 
early  in  May  ;  other  plantings  may  be  continued  through 
June.  The  hill  is  raised  two  or  three  inches  above  the 
surface,  and  is  made  about  two  feet  broad  and  quite  flat. 
When  the  plants  appear  above  the  surface  they  require 
protection  from  cut  worms,  which  would  otherwise  cut 
the  stems  and  destroy  them  ;  and  as  the  rough  leaves 
appear,  the  weaker  plants  are  thinned  out  and  only  three 
left.  A  good  method  of  protecting  the  plants  against 
the  cut  worms  is  to  make  a  ring  of  thick  paper,  about  a 
foot  in  diameter  and  three  inches  broad,  and  place  this 
around  them,  so  as  to  form  an  obstacle  over  which  they 
cannot  climb.  The  after  cultivation  consists  of  deep 
plowing  at  intervals,  at  least  twice,  and  frequent  cultiva- 
tion, until  the  vines  begin  to  run,  when  the  terminal 
buds  are  pinched  off  to  cause  the  growth  of  the  lateral 
branches.  The  main  vine  produces  chiefly  male  or  bar- 
ren flowers,  and  if  this  is  left  to  run,  the  laterals  would 
not  push  out  and  there  would  be  little  or  no  fruit.  The 
lateral  shoots  bear  the  female  or  perfect  flowers,  and  to 
encourage  the  growth  of  these,  is  one  of  the  secrets  of 
Melon  culture  upon  which  the  profits  depend.  The  same 
peculiarity  of  growth  is  found  in  all  the  gourd  tribe,  and 
applies  to  Squashes,  Cucumbers  and  Water  Melons,  as  well 
as  to  Musk  Melons,  careful  attention  to  which,  other 
things  being  right,  makes  success  certain. 

The  pests  of  the  Melon  are  lice,  the  striped  beetle,  and 
the  squash  bug.  The  lice  appear  on  the  under  side  of 
the  leaves  and  are  difficult  to  get  at,  so  that  the  simplest 
and  most  effective  remedy  is  to  pinch  off  the  affected 
leaves  or  the  part  of  the  vine  and  carry  it  away  and  burn 
it.  If  left  undisturbed,  the  lice  from  one  hill  will  quickly 


VEGETABLES— MELOtf.  227 

spread  over  several  square  rods  and  completely  destroy 
the  crop.  A  sure  preventive  against  the  lice  or  Aphis 
is  tobacco,  which,  if  either  in  the  form  of  refuse  stems 
or  dust,  is  strewn  on  the  hill,  the  lice  will  ne\er  appear  ; 
it  will  also  act  as  a  preventive  against  the  striped  bug. 
The  striped  beetle  is  the  worst  enemy  to  deal  with.  It 
lays  its  eggs  on  the  stem  at  the  ground,  and  the  smal] 
grubs  work  their  way  to  the  root  and  feed  upon  it.  The 
first  indication  of  their  presence  is  the  wilting  of  the 
leaves — ff  going  down"  of  the  vines,  the  growers  call  it 
— and  vine  after  vine  thus  goes  down,  until  at  times  the 
larger  part  of  the  crop  may  be  destroyed  when  the  Melons 
are  half  grown.  The  remedy  for  this  pest  is  to  apply 
strong  tobacco  water  around  the  stem  on  the  first  appear- 
ance of  the  small  striped  beetle  and  repeat  it  in  a  few 
days,  and  to  repeat  it  again  as  soon  as  the  wilting  of  the 
first  leaf  is  noticed.  The  fruit  begins  to  " net"  about 
two  weeks  before  it  ripens,  and  the  indications  of  ripe- 
ness are  the  fragrant  scent,  the  softness  of  the  blossom 
end  of  the  melon,  and  the  cracking  and  easy  parting  of 
the  stem. 

Too  much  care  cannot  be  used  in  sowing  the  seeds  of 
all  plants  of  this  class,  as  they  cross  very  readily ;  for 
this  reason,  when  seeds  are  to  be  saved  from  any  par- 
ticular variety,  care  must  be  taken  that  it  is  widely  re- 
moved from  any  other — not  less  than  300  yards.  If 
seed  is  not  wanted,  improper  crossing  will  make  no 
difference  to  the  fruit  that  season,  but  the  seed — the  pro- 
duct of  that  crop — will  be  affected  thereby,  and  its  im- 
purity developed  in  the  fruit  raised  from  it. 

From  the  facility  with  which  the  Melon  intermixes,  it 
follows  that  the  varieties  are  very  numerous,  and  for  the 
same  reason  it  is  difficult  to  retain  varieties  pure.  The 
following  seem  to  be  the  most  fixed  in  character,  and  are 
the  varieties  in  general  use: 

Early  Hackensack,— This  is  an  improvement  of  recent 


223  GARDEXISTG   FOR   PROFIT. 

introduction  on  the  well-known  "Hackensack,"  de- 
scribed below,  in  being  from  five  to  six  days  earlier. 
This  earliness  gave  a  grower  in  Albany,  New  York,  last 
summer  (1886),  over  $100  more  per  acre  in  using  this 
variety,  above  all  other  kinds  tried.  In  size  it  is  some- 


Fig.  59. — HACKENSACK  MUSK  MELON. 

what  smaller,  but  it  is  similar  in  other  respects  to  the 
large  Hackensack. 

llackeusack* — (See  figure  59.)  This  is  now  one  of  the 
most  popular  varieties  grown  for  market  by  the  gardeners 
of  this  vicinity.  It  attains  a  large  size,  is  round  in  shape 
and  flattened  at  the  ends  ;  skin  green  and  thickly  netted. 
The  flesh  also  is  green,  and  rich  and  sugary  in  flavor. 
It  is  wonderfully  productive. 

Golden  Netted  Gem.— (See  figure 
60.)     This  is  one  of  the  earliest, 
and  no  doubt  the  best  small  Melon 
grown.    The  fruit  is  globe-shaped, 
uniform  in  size,  weighing  from  one 
and  a  quarter  to  one  pound  and 
Fig.  60.— GOLDEN  NETTED  a  half   each.     The  flesh   is  light- 
OEM  MUSK  MELON.        green,  and  of  fine  flavor. 
Baltimore. — (See  figure  61.)    This  is  a  productive  and 


VEGETABLES — MELOX. 


229 


excellent  shipping  Melon,  that  can  always  be  found  in  its 
season  in  the  best  hotels  and  restaurants  of  New  York, 


Fig.  61. — BALTIMORE   MUSK   MELON. 

Philadelphia  and  Baltimore.     It  is  a  thick,  green-fleshed 
variety  of  oblong  form,  and  of  excellent  flavor.     In  Bal- 
timore and  farther  south  this  class  of  Melon  is  known 
as  Cantaloupe. 
Montreal  Market.— (See  figure  62.)    The  Melons  of 


Fig.   62.— MONTREAL  MAHKET   MUSK  MELON. 

this  excellent  variety  are  of  the  largest  size.     We  have 


230  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

had  them  weighing  over  twenty  pounds.  In  form  it  is 
almost  round  and  deeply  ribbed.  The  skin  is  green  and 
netted ;  flesh  green,  very  thick  and  of  the  finest  flavor. 
It  is  largely  raised  for  the  markets  of  Montreal,  where  it 
is  justly  highly  esteemed. 

Green  Citron. — This  excellent  Melon  was  formerly 
the  leading  variety  in  our  New  York  markets,  but  of  late 
years  it  has  been  superseded  by  the  Hackensack.  The 
fruit  is  of  medium  size,  deeply  netted,  of  globular  shape 
and  six  to  eight  inches  in  diameter.  Flesh  green  and  of 
fine  flavor. 


MELON. — WATER. — (Citrullus  vulgaris.) 

Like  the  Musk  Melon,  when  cultivated  for  sale,  this  is 
essentially  a  plant  more  suited  for  the  farm  than  the 
garden,  as  it  requires  even  more  space  in  which  to  grow. 
The  soil  best  suited  to  it  is  a  rather  sandy  loam,  heavier 
soils  being  apt  to  induce  a  too  strong  growth  of  leaves. 
It  should  be  planted  about  the  same  time  and  cultivated 
in  all  respects  the  same  as  the  Musk  Melon,  only  that  the 
hills  should  not  be  less  than  eight  feet  apart.  It  is  grown 
in  immense  quantities  on  the  light  sandy  soils  of  New 
Jersey  for  the  New  York  and  Philadelphia  markets,  in 
which  it  is  said  to  give  a  profit  of  from  $50  to  $100  per 
acre.  But  it  is  in  the  vicinity  of  our  Southern  cities — 
Charleston,  Savannah,  and  also  many  points  in  Florida, 
etc.,  where  we  have  regular  steamboat  communication, 
that  these  tropical  fruits  can  be  grown  at  a  high  rate  of 
profit  to  the  cultivator. 

Water  Melons  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston  in 
July  are  sold  by  the  tens  of  thousands  in  New  York  to 
the  consumer  at  $1  each,  while  those  grown  in  Southern 
Jersey  in  August  and  September,  are  a  drug  at  fifteen 
and  twenty-five  cents.  The  leading  varieties  are: 


VEGETABLES — MELON".  231 

Phinncy's  Early, — Very  early,  productive,  of  medium 
size  and  quality. 

Ice  Cream,— The  White  Seeded  Ice  Cream  or  Peerless 
is  of  medium  size,  skin  pale  green,  flesh  scarlet,  of  the 
best  quality. 

Mountain  Sweet,— An  old  favorite.  It  is  of  large  size, 
oblong  shape,  skin  very  dark  green,  flesh  red,  solid  and 
very  sweet. 

Rattlesnake  or  Gypsy,— (See  figure  63.)  Now  per- 
haps the  leading  market  variety.  The  Melons  are  oblong 


.  63.— STRIPED  GYPSY  WATERMELON. 


in  shape,  the  rind  is  light  green  in  color,  with  wavy 
stripes  of  dark  green  ;  flesh  bright  red  and  of  fine  flavor. 
One  of  the  very  best  Melons  for  shipping. 

Kolb's  Gem, — A  new  and  early  variety  that  is  already 
largely  grown,  particularly  in  the  South,  for  shipment  to 
the  Northern  markets.  Commission  dealers  say  that  as 
a  shipping  variety  it  is  hardly  equaled.  The  fruit  is 
nearly  round,  rind  dark  green,  somewhat  marbled  with 
lighter  shades.  The  Melons  will  vary  from  twenty-five 
to  fifty  pounds  each  in  weight. 

Mammoth  Ironclad, — This  variety  is  of  mammoth 
size,  specimens  often  weighing  eighty  pounds  and  up- 
wards. The  rind  is  marked  with  regular  stripes  of  light 
and  dark  green.  It  is  a  very  showy  variety  of  fair  qual- 
ity. Shape  oblong. 


232  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT, 

Icing  or  Ice  Rind,  -(See  figure  64.)     There  are  two 
types  of  this  Melon — dark  and  light,  both  of  excellent 


Fig.  64. — ICING  OK  ICE  RIND  WATERMELON. 

flavor.     This  is  the  favorite  variety  of  the  market  gar- 
deners of  South  New  Jersey. 

Black  Spanish, — Fruit  medium  size,  almost  round ; 
skin  dark  gresn  ;  flesh  red,  sweet  and  delicious. 

Scaly  Bark. — (See  figure  65.)     The  rind  of  this  is  very 
thin,  and  yet  so  tough  and  strong  that  it  will  bear  any 


Fig.  65.— SCALY  BARK  WATERMELON. 

amount  of  handling  before  bursting  or  cracking  open. 
This  characteristic  gives  to  the  variety  special  value  for 
shipping  purposes.  The  flesh  is  light  scarlet  in  color,  and 


VEGETABLES — MELON — MIXT.  233 

of  excellent  flavor.  To  give  some  idea  of  what  pressure 
tins  variety  will  bear,  we  state  the  fact  that,  in  1884,  a 
specimen  of  this  variety  left  at  our  office  stood  a  pressure 
of  1,250  pounds  .before  breaking.  There  are  numerous 
other  varieties  constantly  being  offered  by  seedsmen,  a 
few  of  which  are  meritorious,  although  the  majority  of 
them  are  worthless.  Besides  the  sorts  already  given,  the 
variety  known  as  Pride  of  Georgia  is  worthy  of  mention. 

Citron. — Outwardly  a  very  handsome  Melon.  The 
fruit  is  of  small  size,  but  not  worth  growing  as  a  ripened 
fruit.  It  is  used  to  some  extent  for  making  sweetmeats, 
for  which  purpose  it  is  alone  cultivated. 


MINT. — (Mentha  viridis.) 

A  hardy  perennial  plant,  found  growing  in  abundance 
along  the  roadsides  in  many  places.  It  is  often  grown  in 
gardens,  however,  and  is  used  in  soups,  sauces,  salads, 
etc.,  very  generally.  It  is  of  the  easiest  culture.  It  is 
increased  by  divisions  of  the  root,  and  planted  at  dis- 
tances of  a  foot  apart.  It  quickly  forms  a  mass,  which 
may  be  cut  from  for  many  years  without  renewal.  It  is 
grown  to  a  considerable  extent  in  hot-beds  and  forcing- 
pits,  in  the  same  way  as  Lettuce,  and  sold  in  the  markets 
in  early  spring. 

Its  treatment  there  is  very  simple,  being  merely  to  lift 
up-the  roots  in  solid  mass,  placing  them  on  the  three  or 
four  inches  of  earth  in  the  hot-bed  or  bench  of  the  forcing- 
house,  and  water  freely  as  soon  as  it  begins  to  grow. 
The  sale  is  not  large,  but  growers  realize  about  $10  per 
sash  (three  by  six),  for  what  is  thus  grown  throughout 
winter  and  spring. 


234  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

M  ART  YNIA.— (Marty  nia  proboscidea. ) 

A  vegetable  used  to  a  considerable  extent  for  pickling, 
the  pods  or  fruit  of  which  are  produced  in  the  greatest 
abundance.  It  is  cultivated  by  sowing  in  open  ground  in 
April  or  May,  and  transplanting  to  two  feet  each  way  in 
June  ;  it  is  fit  for  use  in  July  and  August. 


MUSTARD.—  (Sinapis  alba,  and  S.  nigra.) 

Is  used  for  culinary  purposes  as  a  salad,  usually  in  con- 
junction with  Cress.  For  this  purpose  it  may  be  had 
throughout  the  entire  season,  by  sowing  during  winter  in 
hot-beds  or  forcing-pits,  and,  on  the  opening  of  spring, 
in  the  open  ground,  where,  by  sowing  at  intervals  of 
two  or  three  weeks,  it  may  be  had  in  proper  condition 
for  use  throughout  the  year.  Sow  thickly  in  rows,  one 
foot  apart,  on  any  soiL 

White  Mustard. — This  is  the  variety  mostly  used  as  a 
salad  ;  the  seeds  are  bright  yellow,  and  are  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  Mustard  of  commerce. 

Black  Mustard. — This  variety  is  hardly  distinguishable 
from  the  preceding,  except  in  the  color  of  its  seeds,  which 
are  dark-brown  ;  they  are  used  for  medicinal  purposes, 
and  also  in  manufacture  of  Mustard. 


MUSHROOM. — (Agaricus  campestris.) 

I  know  of  no  vegetable  which  has  such  a  novelty  and 
interest  to  the  beginner  as  the  cultivation  of  the  Mush- 
room. In  all  other  vegetables  he  sees  something  tangible 
to  start  with— seeds,  plants  or  roots  ;  but  here  we  may 
almost  say  he  sees  neither,  for  the  seeds  cannot  be  seen 


VEG  KTABLES— ML'SHROOIT. 


235 


with  the  naked  eye,  and  it  requires  au  unusual  effort  of 
the  imagination  to  believe  the  white  moldy  substance  we 
call  spawn  to  be  either  plants  or  roots.  There  are  so 
many  different  systems  of  growing  the  Mushroom,  de- 
tailed in  most  of  the  works  on  gardening,  that  the  reader 
is  too  often  bewildered  in  choosing  a  guide.  In  this  I 
will  only  detail  one  method,  which  I  have  practiced  for 
many  years  with  unfailing  success. 

To  make  the  cultivation  of  the  Mushroom  profitable, 
it  must  be  done  in  a  building,  either  specially  erected  for 
the  purpose,  or  in  some 
shed,  stable  or  cellar  al- 
ready on  the  premises, 
and  which  can  be  con- 
verted to  that  use.  The 
most  suitable  place,  in 
establishments  having 
greenhouses,  vineries  or 
forcing  pits,  are  the  back 
sheds,  usually  erected  over 
the  boiler  pits,  such  as  are 
shown  in  the  plans  of 
forcing-pits  in  this  work. 
But  such  a  structure  is 
not  indispensable.  Any 
place  where  a  temperature  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  degrees 
can  be  sustained  during  winter  will  suit.  We  have  also 
grown  them  under  the%  stages  of  our  greenhouses,  but 
our  "modern  improvements"  of  late  years  allow  us  no 
longer  room  for  the  operation  there.  The  time  of  begin- 
ning may  be  any  time  during  winter.  We  have  usually 
begun  our  preparations  about  December  1st,  which 
brought  our  beds  into  bearing  about  February  1st,  at  the 
season  that  Mushrooms  begin  to  be  most  wanted. 

Our  method  of  growing  Mushrooms  is  very  simple,  and 
can  be  accomplished  to  a  certainty  by  any  one  conforming 


Fig.  66.— MUSHROOMS. 


236  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

strictly  to  the  following  directions.  Let  fresh  horse 
droppings  be  procured  from  the  stables  each  day,  in  quan- 
tity not  less,  perhaps,  than  a  good  barrow  load  ;  to  every 
barrow  load  of  droppings  add  about  the  same  weight  of 
fresh  loam  from  a  pasture  or  sod  land,  or  soil  of  any  kind, 
in  fact,  that  has  not  been  manured — the'  clanger  of  old 
manured  soil  being  that  it  may  contain  spurious  fungi. 
Let  the  droppings  and  soil  be  mixed  together,  day  by 
day,  as  the  droppings  can  be  procured  ;  if  they  can  be 
had  all  at  once,  in  quantity  enough,  so  much  the  better. 
Let  the  heap  be  turned  every  day,  so  that  it  is  not 
allowed  to  heat  violently,  until  you  have  got  quantity 
enough  to  form  the  bed  of  the  dimensions  required.  Be 
careful  that  your  heap  is  under  cover,  so  that  it  cannot 
possibly  get  wet. 

The  most  convenient  size  for  a  bed  is  from  four  to  five 
feet  in  width,  and  if  the  Mushrooms  are  wanted  in  quan- 
tity, it  is  the  plan  most  economical  of  space  to  start  on 
the  floor  of  the  house  with  the  first  bed,  the  additional  ones 
to  be  formed  of  shelving,  four  feet  wide  by  ten  inches  deep, 
raised  one  above  another,  something  like  the  berths  in  a 
steamboat.  Now,  from  the  prepared  heap  of  droppings  and 
soil,  spread  over  the  bed  a  thin  layer ;  pound  this  firmly 
down  with  a  brick  ;  then  another  layer,  pounded  down  as 
before,  and  so  on  until  it  reaches  a  depth  of  eight  inches. 
Be  careful  that  it  be  no  more  nor  less  than  eight  inches  ; 
more  would  cause  the  mass  to  heat  too  violently,  while 
less  is  hardly  enough.  Into  this  bed  plunge  a  thermometer; 
in  a  day  or  two  the  bed  will  heat  so  that  it  will  run  up  to 
100  degrees  or  over,  and  as  soon  as  it  declines  to  ninety- 
five  or  ninety,  take  a  dibber  or  sharp  stick  and  make  holes 
all  over  the  bed,  at  the  distance  of  about  twelve  inches  each 
way,  to  about  half  the  depth  of  the  bed.  Into  each  hole 
put  a  piece  of  spawn  of  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg  or  so,  cov- 
ering up  the  hole  again  with  the  compost,  so  that  it  will 
present  the  same  level,  firm  surface  as  before  the  spawn  was 


VEGETABLES— MUSHROOM.  237 

put  in.  Let  it  remain  in  this  condition  for  about  ten  or 
twelve  days,  by  which  time  the  spawn  will  have  "run"", 
through  the  whole  bed.  This  is  the  method  when  "  brick 
spawn  "  is  used.  When  ' '  French  Flake  "  or  loose  spawn 
is  used,  make  holes  with  the  hand  all  over  the  bed  four  or 
five  inches  deep  and  wide,  in  which  place  a  handful  of  the 
loose  spawn,  and  again  beat  it  down  to  its  original  firm- 
ness. Now  spread  evenly  over  the  surface  of  the  bed  nearly 
two  inches  of  fresh  loam,  firm  it  down  moderately  with 
the  back  of  a  spade,  and  cover  up  the  bed  with  three  or 
four  inches  of  hay  or  straw ;  this  completes  the  whole 
operation  of  "  planting  the  crop."  Nothing  now  remains 
to  be  done  but  to  give  attention  to  the  proper  degrees  of 
heat  and  moisture. 

If  you  can  control  the  means  of  heating  so  that  the 
place  can  be  kept  uniformly  at  a  temperature  of  sixty 
degrees,  all  the  better,  but  if  not,  it  may  range  from 
fifty  to  sixty  degrees.  It  should  never  get  much  be- 
low fifty  degrees,  else  the  bed  will  become  cold  too 
quickly,  and  delay  the  crop  until  too  late  in  the  season 
to  be  profitable.  Unless  the  air  of  the  house  has  been 
unusually  dry,  the  Mushrooms  will  appear  before  any 
water  is  required.  But  examination  should  be  made,  and 
if  the  surface  of  the  bed  appears  dry,  a  gentle  sprinkljng 
of  Avater,  heated  to  about  100  degrees,  must  be  given. 
With  this,  treatment,  beginning  in*  December,  our  first 
crop  is  ready  for  use  in  February,  and  as  the  Mushrooms 
do  not  come  up  all  at  ouce,  it  takes  about  three  weeks  to 
gather  the  crop,  which  is  fit  to  gather  when  the  Mush- 
rooms have  got  to  be  an  average  of  about  three  inches  in 
diameter,  the  under  side  having  a  delicate  pink  color.  In 
gathering  the  crop,  it  is  best  to  give  the  Mushrooms  a 
slight  twist,  so  as  to  disturb  as  little  as  possible  the  young 
ones  which  usually  come  up  in  dense  clusters,  as  shown 
in  the  engraving.  After  the  first  crop  has  been  gathered, 
a  slight  dressing  of  fresh  soil,  of  about  half  an  inch  in 


238  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

depth,  is  spread  over  the  bed,  and  again  beaten  down  with 
the  spade.  This  is  gently  watered  with  tepid  water  when 
dry,  and  a  second  crop  of  Mushrooms  (often  better  than 
the  first),  is  gathered  in  March. 

To  show  how  a  simple  oversight  in  our  operations  may 
defeat  the  whole  work,  I  will  state  that,  in  my  first  at- 
tempt at  Mushroom  growing,  I  labored  for  two  years 
without  being  able  to  produce  a  single  Mushroom.  In 
my  apprentice  days  we  had  known  no  such  word  as  fail 
in  so  simple  a  matter,  but  here,  on  my  first  attempt  on 
my  own  responsibility,  I  was  met  by  total  failure.  Every 
authority  was  consulted,  all  the  various  methods  tried, 
but  with  no  better  success.  In  all  such  cases  something 
must  be  blamed,  and  I  pronounced  the  spawn  as  worth- 
less ;  but  my  good-natured  employer  quietly  suggested 
that  this  could  not  well  be,  as  a  friend  of  his  had  abun- 
dant crops  growing  from  spawn  received  from  the  same 
source.  Driven  into  a  corner  by  this  information,  I  made 
another  exploration  of  my  "authorities,"  and  was  fortu- 
nate to  find  in  one  of  them  a  single  sentence  that  at  once 
showed  where  my  error  had  been.  It  was  to  "be  careful 
to  delay  the  covering  with  mold  until  ten  or  twelve  days 
aZter  the  bed  had  been  spawned." 

Now,  in  all  the  different  methods  I  had  tried,  I  had  in 
each  invariably  put  in  the  spawn,  and  at  once  put  on  the 
two-inch  covering  of  soil,  which  had  the  effect  to  shut 
dawn  the  steam,  thereby  raising  the  temperature  in  the 
bed  to  a  degree  to  destroy  the  spawn,  and  consequently 
to  defeat  my  whole  operations.  My  excuse  for  this  di- 
gression is  to  show  the  importance  of  what  might  other- 
wise be  thought  unnecessary  details. 

The  plan  of  one  of  our  most  successful  Mushroom 
growers  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York  is  practically 
that  of  rny  own  just  given,  except  that  he  makes  a  differ- 
ence in  covering.  Instead  of  using  the  two  inches  of 
loose  soil,  as  was  my  method,  he  uses  old  compact  sod, 


VEGETABLES — MUSHROOM.  239 

cut  two  inches  thick,  placing  the  grassy  side  downward. 
This  he  has  found  in  his  experience  to  be  the  best  method, 
which  his  extraordinary  success  seems  to  well  attest. 

Although  spawn  is  procurable  at  cheap  rates  in  all  hor- 
ticultural stores,  yet  to  such  as  desire  to  make  it  them- 
selves I  give  the  following  brief  directions.  Take  equal 
portions  of  horse  droppings,  cow  dung  and  fresh  loam  ; 
mix  the  whole  thoroughly  together,  as  you  would  make 
mortar ;  then  form  it  into  cakes  about  the  size  of  large 
bricks  ;  place  these  on  edge,  under  cover,  until  they  be- 
come half  dry  ;  then  insert  into  each  a  piece  of  spawn 
half  an  inch  or  so  square;  let  the  bricks  remain  until  they 
are  quite  dry.  Then  spread  about  eight  inches  of  horse 
dung  over  the  floor  of  the  shed,  on  .which  build  the  bricks 
in  a  pile  three  feet  wide  by  three  feet  high,  keeping  the 
side  in  which  the  spawn  has  been  put  uppermost ;  then 
cover  them  over  with  sufficient  stable  manure,  so  as  to 
give  a  gentle  heat  through  the  whole.  In  two  or  three 
weeks  the  spawn  will  have  spread  itself  through  the 
whole  mass  of  each  brick.  They  are  then  removed  to  a 
dry  place,  and  will  retain  their  vital  properties  for  many 
years.  There  is  not  the  least  question  that  the  cultivation 
of  Mushrooms  for  market,  forced  in  the  manner  detailed, 
will  give  a  larger  profit  for  the  1-ibor  and  capital  invested 
than  that  from  any  other  vegetable.  The  supply  has 
never  yet  been  half  enough,  and  sellers  have  had  prices 
almost  pretty  much  as  they  pleased. 

I  know  of  no  house  in  this  vicinity — there  are  some,  I 
believe,  in  Canada — that  have  been  especially  erected  for 
the  purpose,  and  the  markets  have  been  supplied  from 
beds  formed  in  out-of-the-way  corners,  giving  only  an 
uncertain  and  irregular  supply,  very  discouraging  to  buy- 
ers. •  I  have  no  doubt  whatever  that  Mushroom  houses, 
roughly  built,  but  exclusively  devoted  to  that  purpose, 
would,  in  the  vicinity  of  any  of  our  large  cities,  pay  a 
profit  of  thirty  per  cent,  per  annum  on  cost  of  construe- 


240  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

tion.  I  am  often  asked  if  it  will  pay  to  raise  Mushrooms 
outside  during  summer.  I  do  not  think  it  would,  unless 
under  special  contract,  as,  besides  being  less  appreciated 
in  hot  weather,  they  come  in  competition  with  those 
grown  in  the  fields.  If,  however,  it  is  desired  to  raise 
the  crop  in  summer,  adopt  exactly  the  plan  above  ad- 
vised ;  all  that  is  necessary  to  see  to  is,  that  the  beds  are 
made  in  the  shade  and  protected  against  rain. 


NASTURTIUM.— INDIAN  CRESS.— ( Tropceolum.) 

A  plant  at  once  highly  ornamental  and  useful.  The 
shoots  and  flower  buds  are  sometimes  used  as  a  salad,  but 
it  is  grown  for  its  seed-pods,  which  are  pickled  in  vin- 
egar and  used  as  a  substitute  for  capers.  It  can  be  grown 
in  almost  any  soil  or  situation,  entwining  itself  around 
strings,  brush  or  trellis  work,  that  may  be  given  for  its 
support.  It  may  be  sown  thinly  in  drills  an  inch  or  so 
deep,  in  April  or  May.  There  are  many  beautiful  vari- 
eties, but  the  following  are  only  those  in  use  in  our  vege- 
table gardens. 

Tall  Nasturtium  (T.  majus),  attains  a  height  of  eight 
or  nine  feet ;  the  flowers  are  yellow,  blotched  with  crim- 
son. This  variety  makes  an  excellent  screen  or  covering 
for  unsightly  places  in  the  garden. 

Dwarf  Nasturtium  (T.  minus.)— This,  in  growth,  is 
quite  distinct  from  the  preceding,  never  attaining  more 
than  three  feet ;  it  should  be  sown  thinly  in  drills,  three 
feet  wide,  and  staked  up  with  brush  like  Peas.  Its  flow- 
ers are  handsome,  bright  yellow,  blotched  with  scarlet. 


VEGETABLES — OKRA — OXIOX.  241 

OKKA  OE,  GUMBO.— (Abelmoachus  esculentus.) 

This  vegetable  is  extensively  grown  in  the  Southern 
States.  Its  long  pods,  when  young,  are  used  in  soups, 
stews,  etc.,  and  are  believed  to  be  very  nutritious.  It  is 
of  the  easiest  culture,  and  grows  freely,  bearing  abun- 
dantly on  any  ordinary  garden  soil.  It  is  sown  at  the 
usual  time  of  all  tender  vegetables — in  this  district  in 
May — in  drills  two  inches  deep,  and  from  eighteen  to 
twenty-four  inches  apart  in  the  rows  for  the  dwarf  sorts  ; 
for  the  tall,  nearly  double  that  width.  There  are  now 
the  following  sorts  :  New  Dwarf  Prolific,  Dwarf  White, 
Dwarf  Green  and  Tall  Green. 


Cepa.) 

Next  to  Cabbages,  perhaps  Onions  are  the  most  profit- 
able crop  of  our  market  gardens,  in  which  they  are 
grown  from  sets,  and  nearly  all  sold  in  bunches  in  the 
green  or  unripened  state.  Grown  from  seed,  they  are  cul- 
tivated almost  exclusively  by  farmers  or  men  who  devote 
farm  land  to  this  purpose  alone.  Thus  grown  they  are 
sold  m  the  dry  state,  and  form  an  important  article  of 
commerce. 

I  will  first  describe  the  manner  of  cultivating  in  our 
market  gardens.  To  produce  the  "  sets,"  or  small  bulbs, 
that  are  planted  to  give  early  Onions  to  be  sold  green,  a 
poor  piece  of  ground  is  chosen  as  early  as  it  is  fit  to  work 
in  spring.  It  is  brought  into  a  thorough  state  of  pulver- 
ization by  plowing,  harrowing  and  raking,  so  that  the 
surface  is  level  and  free  of  stones.  A  line  is  then  stretched, 
and  lines  are  marked  out  by  the  nine-inch  side  of  the 
marker.  In  these  the  seed  is  sown  in  beds  of  six  rows 
wide,  rubbing  out  every  seventh  row  marked,  so  that  it 
forms  an  alley  eighteen  inches  wide.  For  this  purpose 


242  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

the  seed  is  sown  quite  thickly,  and  on  poor  soil,  so  as  to 
produce  the  "  sets"  as  small  as  possible,  for  we  find  that 
whenever  they  much  exceed  half  an  inch  in  diameter, 
they  will  run  to  seed.  It  matters  not  how  small  the  bulb 
is  ;  even  when  of  the  size  of  the  smallest  Peas,  they  make 
an  equally  good  if  not  a  better  crop  than  if  of  a  larger  size. 
The  sets  are  taken  up  in  August,  well  dried,  placed 
with  the  chaff  among  them  in  a  loft  of  a  stable  or  barn, 
about  four  inches  deep,  covered  up  by  six  inches  of  hay 
on  the  approach  of  hard  frost,  and  left  thus  until  wanted 
for  setting  out  in  spring.  This  is  the  usual  method  of 
raising  Onion  sets. 

But  few  market  gardeners  can  grow  them  in  the  ordi- 
nary manner,  unless  at  a  cost  greater  than  they  can  be 
purchased  for  from  those  who  make  a  business  of  grow- 
ing them.  But  the  price  paid  for  sets  the  past  six  or 
eight  years  has  been  so  high  that  many  market  gardeners 
have  abandoned  growing  Onions  from  them. 

For  Onion  sets  the  best  soil  of  the  garden  is  chosen, 
manured  with  short,  well-rotted  manure,  plowed  in  at 
the  rate  of  seventy-five  tons  to  the  acre.  When  only  con- 
centrated manures  can  be  obtained,  crashed  bone  is  pre- 
ferable to  guano  (for  quantity  see  Chapter  on  Manures). 
The  ground  "is  further  deeply  harrowed,  finishing  with 
the  smoothing  harrow  (see  Implements),  or,  if  on  a  small 
scale,  smoothed  fine  with  the  rake.  The  line  is  now 
stretched  along  the  bed,  and  the  nine-inch  marker  again 
makes  the  drills,  six  in  each  bed,  with  the  seventh 
rubbed  out  for  an  alley.  The  sets  are  now  planted  in  the 
drills  at  a  distance  of  two  to  three  inches  apart,  pressing 
each  bulb  down  firmly,  so  that  it  will  keep  right  side  up. 
The  row  is  then  closed  in  by  the  feet  or  a  rake,  so  that 
the  set  is  entirely  covered  up.  The  ground  is  then  rolled 
over,  so  as  to  render  it  still  more  compact  around  the 
bulbs  ;  as  soon  as  the  lines  can  be  traced,  by  the  Onions 
starting  to  grow,  the  hoe  is  applied  between  the  rows. 


VEGETABLES — OXIOX.  243 

and  the  soil  broken  between  the  plants  by  the  fingers, 
where  the  hoe  cannot  reach,  so  as  to  destroy  the  germs  of 
the  weeds.  If  attended  to  in  time,  twice  going  over  with 
hoeing  and  weeding  is  sufficient  until  the  crop  is  fit  for 
market,  which  it  begins  to  be  about  the  first  week  in 
June,  and  is  usually  all  gathered  by  the  first  week  in  July, 
so  as  to  give  us  time  for  second  crops. 

When  we  first  begin  to  send  them  to  market,  they  are 
usually  not  more  than  half  grown,  and  are  washed  and 
tied  in  bunches  containing  from  nine  to  twelve  Onions  ; 
later,  when  full  grown,  from  six  to  seven.  This  crop  is 
one  requiring  considerable  labor  and  expense  to  get  it  in 
shape  to  sell,  taking  cost  of  sets,  labor,  manure,  etc., 
probably  not  less  than  $300  per  acre,  for  the  past  fifteen 
years  ;  but  the  receipts  have  been  correspondingly  high, 
averaging  in  that  time  quite  $500  per  acre. 

Onions,  planted  from  sets,  rarely  fail  to  give  a  crop  on 
any  kind  of  soil,  provided  it  has  been  well  manured  ;  and 
although  they  are  sold  by  the  market  gardeners  in  the 
green  state,  they  are  equally  good,  ripened  and  dried, 
when  raised  from  sets  as  from  seed.  The  quantity  of 
sets  required  per  acre  is  from  six  to  ton  bushels,  accord- 
ing to  size.  At  present  prices,  they  cost  $6  per  bushel. 

Another  plan  to  get  early  Onions  to  sell  green,  is  to 
sow  the  seed  in  fall  in  rows  from  nine  to  twelve  inches 
apart.  The  time  of  sowing  is  of  great  importance,  and 
varies,  of  course,  with  the  locality.  In  the  latitude  of 
New  York  they  may  be  sown  from  5th  to  20th  Septem- 
ber ;  they  do  not  always  stand  the  winter  well  here,  but 
it  is  well  worth  the  risk,  as  the  cost  of  seed  is  trifling, 
compared  to  cost  of  setting,  and  when  they  stand  well 
the  crop  is  usually  better  than  from  sets.  A  dry,  well 
sheltered  soil  in  this  location  is  a  necessity  to  enable  the 
crop  to  stand  the  winter. 

The  following  instructions  are  given  for  raising  Onions 
as  a  farm  crop  to  be  sold  when  mature  : 


244  GARDENING    FOR    PKOFIT. 

It  is  the  generally  received  opinion  that  Onions  grow 
best  in  old  ground.  This  we  think  is  an  error  ;  it  is  not 
because  the  ground  is  "old,"  or  has  been  long  cultivated, 
that  the  Onions  do  better  there,  but  because  such  lands, 
from  their  long  culture,  are  usually  better  pulverized  ; 
and  experience  has  shown  us  repeatedly  that  when  new 
soil  has  been  equally  well  pulverized  and  fertilized  with 
the  old,  an  equally  good  crop  is  obtained  and  usually  a 
crop  more  exempt  from  rust.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
finest  crop  of  Onions  we  ever  beheld  was  on  sandy 
swamp  land,  which  had  been  first  thoroughly  drained 
and  broken  up.  In  fact,  new  soils,  particularly  when 
broken  up  from  pasture  land — turned  over  early  enough 
in  the  full  so  that  the  sod  is  completely  rotted — make 
excellent  land  for  Onion  crops,  as  they  are  usually  free 
from  weeds.  Soils  of  this  kind,  however,  must  be  well 
pulverized  by  the  use  of  the  plow,  Acme  and  smooth- 
ing harrow,  or  good  results  may  not  follow.  Much  de- 
pends on  the  quality  of  such  soil.  If  rather  sandy  loam, 
it  will,  of  course,  be  much  easier  to  pulverize  than  if  stiff 
or  clayey  loam,  and  such  soil,  in  our  experience,  is  always 
preferable  for  most  crops.  Such  soils,  also,  are  nearly 
always  free  from  under  water,  rarely  requiring  artificial 
drainage  if  tho  land  is  level,  and  it  always  should  be 
selected  as  level  as  possible  for  the  Onion  crop,  as  when 
land  slopes  to  any  great  extent,  much  damage  is  often 
done  by  washing  out,  the  Onicn  roots  being  near  the  sur- 
face, consequently  cannot  so  well  resist  floods,  as  crops 
that  root  deeper. 

Many  Onion  growers  who  make  a  specialty  of  the  busi- 
ness, find  it  is  economical  to  alternate  the  Onion  crop 
with  a  green  one,  such  as  German  Millet,  which  can  be 
cut  for  hay  in  July,  the  "stubble"  plowed  down  in 
August,  giving  a  fresh  fibrous  soil  clear  of  weeds  for  the 
Onion  crop  to  be  sown  next  spring.  It  is  not  claimed 
that  the  alternation  of  a  green  crop  with  the  Onions  is  a 


VEGETABLES — ONTCW.  245 

necessity,  as  it  is  well  known  that  the  Onion  is  one  of 
the  very  few  crops  that  do  not  seem  benefited  by 
alternating  ;  but  it  is  claimed  that  it  gives  almost  entire 
freedom  from  weeds,  as  after  a  crop  of  Millet,  which  has 
been  cut  before  its  seed  is  ripe,  few  troublesome  weeds 
will  come  np  the  next  year. 

MA^UKES. 

I  have  always  held  the  opinion  that  when  well-rotted 
stable  manure,  whether  from  horses  or  cows,  can  be  pro- 
cured at  a  cost  not  exceeding  $3  per  ton,  delivered  on 
the  ground,  it  is  cheaper  and  better  than  any  kind  of 
concentrated  fertilizer.  It  should  be  plowed  in  at  the 
rate  of  thirty  tons  to  the  acre.  The  concentrated  ferti- 
lizers in  the  market  are  now  so  numerous  that  it  would 
be  invidious  to  specify  particular  brands.  We  ourselves, 
except  in.  using  occasionally  the  " blood  and  bone  ferti- 
lizer," which  we  have  proved  to  be  excellent,  use  only 
pure  ground  bone  and  Peruvian  guano,  which,  for  Onions, 
we  prefer  to  mix  in  equal  parts,  sowing  it  on  the  land, 
after  plowing,  at  the  rate  of  at  least  one  ton  per  acre  of 
the  mixture  (when  no  stable  manure  has  been  used), 
after  sowing  to  be  harrowed  in,  as  described  in  "  Prepar- 
ing the  Ground." 

One  of  the  most  valuable  manures  for  the  Onion  crop 
are  the  droppings  from  the  chicke*n  or  pigeon-house, 
which,  when  mixed  with  twice  their  weight  of  lime,  coal 
or  wood  ashes,  so  as  to  disintegrate  and  pulverize,  may 
be  sown  on  the  land  after  plowing,  to  be  harrowed  in 
at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  tons  per  acre  of  the  mixture. 
Night  soil,  when  mixed  with  dry  muck,  coal  ashes,  char- 
coal dust,  lime,  or  lime  rubbish,  as  absorbents,  and  spread 
on  after  plowing,  at  the  rate  of  six  or  eight  tons  per 
acre,  and  harrowed  deeply  in,  the  mixture  will  never  fail 
to  produce  a  heavy  crop  of  Onions  in  any  suitable  soil. 

There  are  many  other  manures  that  will  answer  tho 


24G  GARDENING    FOR    PHOFIT. 

purpose,  often  to  be  had  in  special  localities,  such  as  the 
refuse  hops  and  "grains"  from  breweries,  which  should 
be  used  in  the  same  manner  and  in  similar  quantities  as 
stable  manure;  while  fish  guano,  whalebone  shavings, 
or  shavings  from  horn,  when  pulverized  so  as  to  be  in 
proper  condition  for  plant  food,  are  nearly  equal  in  value 
to  ground  bone.  Wood  ashes  alone,  spread  on  at  the  rate 
of  five  or  six  tons  per  acre,  will  usually  give  excellent 
results. 

It  is  well  to  keep  the  fact  in  mind  that  it  will  always 
be  more  profitable  to  fertilize  one  acre  of  Onions  well, 
than  two  acres  imperfectly.  If  thirty  tons  of  stable  ma- 
nure or  one  ton  and  a  half  of  concentrated  fertilizer  are 
used  to  an  acre,  the  net  profits  are  almost  certain  to  be 
larger,  than  if  that  quantity  had  been  spread  over  two 
acres  ;  for  in  all  probability  nearly  as  much  weight  of 
crop  would  bo  produced  upon  the  one  well-manured  acre 
as  upon  the  two  tluit  li-sd  been  imperfectly  manured, 
besides  the  saving  of  seed  and  labor  in  cultivating  cue 
acre  instead  of  two. 

PREPARING   THE   GROUND. 

In  preparing  the  ground  for  the  reception  of  the  seed 
(if  it  has  been  plowed  the  fall  previous),  plowing  should 
be  begun  as  soon  as  the  land  is  dry  enough  to  work,  first 
having  spread  over  the  land  well-rotted  stable  manure,  at 
the  rate  of  thirty  tons  to  the  acre.  This  should  be  lightly 
turned  under,  plowing  not  more  than  five  or  six  inches 
deep,  and  covering  the  manure  so  that  it  will  be  three  or 
four  inches  under  the  surface.  For  this  reason  the  ma- 
nure must  be  well  rotted,  otherwise  it  cannot  be  well 
covered  by  the  plow.  If  concentrated  fertilizers  are  to 
be  used,  it  is  best  to  plow  the  land  up  roughly,  sow  the 
fertilizer  at  the  rate  of  one  to  two  tons  per  acre,  accord- 
ing to  its  fertilizing  properties  ;  then  harrow  thoroughly, 


VEGETABLES — OK  ION. 

so  that  it  is  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the  soil.  After 
harrowing  with  an  ordinary  toothed  harrow,  the  surface 
should  be  further  leveled  with  a  Smoothing  or  Disc  har- 
row. The  revolving  discs  pulverize  the  soil  to  a  depth 
of  three  inches  much  better  than  it  can  be  done  by 
raking,  and  the  smoothing  board,  which  follows  in  the 
wake  of  the  revolving  wheels,  makes  the  surface,  if  free 
from  stones,  as  smooth  as  a  board — far  better  than  it  can 
be  done  by  raking. 

The  ground  being  thus  prepared,  the  next  thing  is  the 
sowing  of  the  seed,  about  six  pounds  being  used  per  acre. 
This,  of  course,  now-a-days,  is  always  done  by  the  seed- 
drilling  machine,  of  which  there  are  many  in  the  market; 
we  ourselves  give  preference  to  the  Planet  Jr.  In  sow- 
ing the  first  row,  a  line  must  be  tightly  stretched  so  as  to 
have  that  row  straight,  after  which  the  marker  can  readily 
regulate  the  other  rows.  The  favorite  distance  apart  for 
Onion  rows  is  fifteen  inches,  though  they  are  sometimes 
sown  as  close  as  twelve  inches,  leaving  put  every  ninth 
row  for  an  alley,  thus  forming  beds  of  eight  rows  each. 
Where  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  weeds  may  be 
troublesome,  this  plan  of  forming  into  beds  has  the 
advantage  of  the  alley  (twenty-four  inches  wide),  into 
which  to  throw  the  weeds. 

We  so  fixedly  believe  in  the  value  of  firming  in  the 
seeds  after  sowing,  that  we  advise,  in^addition  to  the  clos- 
ing and  firming  of  the  seeds  by  the  drill,  to  use  a  roller 
besides,  particularly  if  the  land  is  light,  or  where  the  soil 
has  not  been  sufficiently  firmed  down. 

There  is  no  other  crop  where  the  adage  of  a  "stitch  in 
time  "  is  so  applicable  as  in  the  Onion  crop,  therefore,  just 
as  soon  as  the  lines  can  be  seen,  which  will  be  in  ten  or 
twelve  days  after  sowing,  apply  the  scuffle  hoe  between 
the  rows.  There  are  a  great  many  styles  of  hand  culti- 
vators, many  of  which  are  exceedingly  useful  when  the 
Onions  get  strong  enough  after  weeding  ;  for  the  first 


248  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

hoeing,  after  the  seed  shows  the  lines,  we  prefer  the 
Planet  Jr.  Double  Wheel  Hoe. 

The  distance  at  which  Onions  should  stand  in  the  rows 
is  from  one  to  two  inches,  and  if  the  crop  is  sown  evenly 
and  thinly,  few  require  to  he  taken  out,  but  whether  it 
is  weeds  or  onions  that  are  to  he  removed,  one  thing 
should  never  be  lost  sight  of — that  when  this  operation 
is  done,  every  inch  of  the  surface  should  be  broken. 
This  is  best  done  after  hoeing,  by  using  a  wooden  lawn 
rake  all  over  the  land,  raking  lightly  across  the  rows.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  common  mistakes  in  a  laborer  when 
weeding  or  hoeing,  if  he  sees  no  weeds,  to  pass  over  such 
portions  without  breaking  the  crust.  By  this  neglect, 
not  only  is  it  most  likely  that  he  passes  another  crop  of 
weeds  in  embryo  under  the  unbroken  crust,  but  the  por- 
tion unbroken  loses  the  stirring  so  necessary  for  the  well- 
being  of  the  crop. 

In  our  long  experience  in  garden  operations,  we  have 
had  more  trouble  to  keep  our  workmen  up  to  the  mark 
in  this  matter  than  in  any  other  ;  and  I  never  fail,  whsn 
I  discover  a  man  guilty  of  such  negligence,  to  set  him 
back  over  his  work  until  he  does  it  properly,  and  if  he 
again  fails  to  do  so,  promptly  dismiss  him. 

The  Onion  crop  is  usually  fit  to  harvest,  in  this  section, 
from  5th  to  20th  of  August;  that  is,  when  the  seed 
has  been  sown  in  early  spring,  which  should  be  not 
later  than  May  1st,  if  possible,  and  if  by  April  1st  all  the 
better.  If  the  seed  is  sown  too  late,  it  may  delay  the 
time  of  ripening,  which  may  result  in  a  complete  loss  of 
the  crop,  for,  if  the  bulbs  are  not  ripened  by  August, 
there  is  danger,  if  September  is  wet,  that  they  will  not 
ripen  at  all,  hence  the  great  necessity  of  early  seeding  in 
spring. 

If  the  Onion  crop  is  growing  very  strong,  it  will  facili- 
tate the  ripening  process  if  we  bend  clown  the  leaves 
with  the  back  of  a  wooden  rake,  or  some  such  implement, 


VEGETABLES — OXIOX.  249 

so  as  to  "knee  "  them,  as  it  is  called,  at  the  neck  of  the 
bulb  ;  this  checks  the  flow  of  sap,  and  tends  to  ripen  the 
bulb. 

After  the  tops  of  the  Onions  become  yellow  and  wither 
up,  they  should  then  be  pulled  without  unnecessary  de- 
lay, for  if  there  is  continued  wet  weather,  and  we  delay 
the  pulling  too  long,  a  secondary  growth  of  the  bulbs 
may  be  developed,  which  would  seriously  injure  the  crop. 
After  pulling,  lay  the  bulbs  in  convenient  rows,  so  as  to 
cover  the  ground,  but  not  to  lie  on  each  other.  By  turn- 
ing them  every  day  or  two,  in  six  or  eight  days  they  will 
usually  be  dry  enough  to  be  carted  to  their  storage  quar- 
ters, where  the  shriveled  tops  are  cut  off,  and  the  Onions 
stored  on  shitted  shelves  to  the  depth  of  six  or  eight 
inches,  in  some  dry  and  airy  place.  It  is  of  importance 
to  have  the  bottom  of  the  shelves  slatted,  so  as  to  leave 
spaces  an  inch  or  so  apart,  that  air  can  be  admitted  at 
the  bottom  as  well  as  the  top  of  the  heap.  The  shelves, 
when  all  the  space  at  hand  is  to  be  made  available,  may 
be  constructed  one  above  another.  But  if  to  be  kept 
through  the  winter,  the  Onions  must  be  protected  in 
some  building  capable  of  resisting  severe  frost,  or  they 
musf,  be  covered  with  hay  or  straw  as  a  protection  against 
extreme  cold.  For,  although  the  Onion  will  stand  a 
moderate  degree  of  frost,  any  long  continuation  of  a  zero 
temperature  would  injure  them.  When  frozen,  they 
should  never  be  handled,  as  in  that  condition  they  are 
easily  blemished,  and  would  rot.  When  kept  in  barrels, 
holes  should  be  bored  in  the  sides  for  ventilation,  and 
they  should  be  left  unheaded  until  shipping  time,  to 
permit  the  escape  of  any  moisture  that  may  be  generated. 

For  the  insects  and  other  enemies  that  attack  the 
Onion  crop,  I  am  much  afraid  there  are  few  if  any  effec- 
tive remedies.  Every  year's  experience  with  the  enemies 
that  attack  plants  in  the  open  field  convinces  me  that  we 
can  successfully  cope  with  very  few  of  them.  The  rem- 


250  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

edy,  if  remedy  it  is,  for  rust,  smut  or  other  mildew  para- 
sites, must,  in  my  opinion,  be  a  preventive  one';  that  is, 
whenever  practicable,  use  new  land,  or  renew  the  old 
land,  by  a  green  crop,  such  as  Rye,  Timothy  or  Millet, 
in  all  sections  subject  to  these  diseases.  The  same  plan 
had  better  be  adopted  in  all  places  where  the  Onion 
maggot  or  other  insects  attack  the  crop.  The  theory  for 
this  practice  is,  that  it  is  believed  that  nearly  all  plants 
affected  by  insects  or  diseases,  have  such  peculiar  to  them- 
selves, and  that  the  germs  or  eggs  lie  in  the  soil  ready  to 
fasten  on  the  same  crop,  if  planted  without  intermission 
on  the  same  ground,  while  if  a  season  intervene,  the 
larva  or  germ  has  nothing  congenial  to  feed  on,  and  is, 
in  consequence,  destro}Ted.  In  practice  we  usually  find 
that  cultivated  land  "  rested  "  for  a  season  by  a  grass  crop 
gives  a  cleaner  and  healthier  crop  of  whatever  vegeta- 
ble may  follow  it. 

THE    PRODUCT. 

The  product  of  the  average  Onion  crop  varies  very 
much,  ranging  from  300  to  900  bushels  per  acre,  the 
mean  being  about  600  bushels  per  acre.  The  price,  like 
that  of  all  perishable  commodities,  is  variable,  ranging 
from  50  cents  per  bushel,  the  price  at  which  they  usually 
wholesale  in  the  New  York  market  in  fall,  to  $1  or  $1.50 
per  bushel  for  winter  and  spring  prices.  The  estimate, 
then,  of  profit  per  acre  may  be  given  about  as  follows  : 

Manure,  per  acre... $  72 

Plowing,  weeding  and  harvesting  crop,  per  acre- -  100 

Six  pounds  seed,  average  $2  per  pound 12 

Rent  or  interest,  on  land,  per  acre 9 

Marketing  crop,  per  acre 7 

Cost ...$200 

Six  hundred  bushels  per  acre,  at  50  cents 300 

Profit...  .-.$100 


VEGETABLES — CARROT. 


251 


This  estimate  is  a  moderate  one,  for  if  the  crop  is  sold 
in  spring,  the  chances  are  that  the  profit  may  be  two  or 
three  times  as  great. 

The  leading  kinds  of  Onions  arc  : 

Extra  Early  Flat  Red,— (See  figure  G7.)  A  thin, 
rather  light-colored  Onion,  a  good  keeper,  and  the  ear- 
liest of  all. 


Fig.  07. 

EXTRA  EAELY  FLAT  RED  ONION. 


Fig.  68. 

LARGE  RED  WETHERSFIELD  ONION. 


These  cuts,  which  are  hardly  half  the  average  natural  size,  are  given 
to  show  the  shape  and  relative  size  of  the  different  kinds. 

Large  Red  Wethersfield.— (See  figure  68.)  This  is  a 
.favorite  sort  for  general  crop.  A  large  yielder  and  good 
keeper. 

Yellow  Globe  Danvcrs,— (See  figure  G9.)  A  fine 
globe-shaped  variety,  one  of  the  hest  yielders  and  a  splen- 
did keeper. 

Southport  Larse  Yellow  Globe,— (See  figure  70.) 
This  is  perfectly  globular  in  form.  It  is  a  good  yielder 
and  fine  keeper.  The  Large  Red  Globe  and  the  South- 


252 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


port  Large  White  Globe  possess  the  same  characteristics 

as  the  variety  just  described,  and  vary  only  in  the  color. 

South  port  White  Globe,— One  of  the  finest  appearing 


C9.— Y3LLOVV  GLOBE  DAN- 
VEKS  ONION. 


£.  70. — SOUTHPORT  LAKGE  FALLOW 
GLOBE  ONION. 


and  most  saleable  sorts  we  have ;  pure  white,  line  flavor 
and  in  every  way  desirable.  It  is  not  quite  as  good  a 
keeper  as  some  of  the  colored  sorts,  but  it  is  u  great 
favorite  in  the  New  York  market. 

Southport  Red  Globe,— Similar  to  the  above  in  shape  ; 
color,  a  deep  red  ;  a  good  keeper. 

Bermuda  Onion. — A  distinct  sort,  principally  grown 
in  the  Island  of  Bermuda,  although  the  seed  cannot  be 
grown  there.  There  are  two  varieties  of  it,  the  A\hite 
and  the  Pale  Red.  They  are  both  very  early,  and  are 
the  varieties  from  which  as  high  as  200,000  bags  of 
Onions  have  been  shipped  from  Bermuda  in  one  sea- 
son. It  is  now  being  extensively  inquired  for  by  the 
truckers  in  the  South,  for  the  reason  that  it  can  be 
grown  there  as  profitably  as  in  Bermuda,  which  has  had 


VEGETABLES-  ONIOX. 


253 


for  thirty  years  a  complete  monopoly  of  its   culture. 
Great  care  should  be  taken  in  getting  the  seed  genuine. 

Yellow  Dutch, — A  flat,  yellow  Onion.  A  good  yielder, 
but  not  so  desirable  as  other  yellow  sorts,  on  account  of 
ifcs  color  and  shape.  This  and  the  Flat  Yellow  Danvers 
are  very  similar.  It  is  one  of  the  heaviest  croppers. 

White  Portugal  or  Silver  Skin,— (See  figure  71.)  One 
of  the  leading  sorts  of  white,  flat  Onions.  A  most  ex- 
cellent keeper  and  good  yielder. 


Fig.  71.— WHITE  PORTUGAL  ONION.  Fig.  72.^GIANT  ROCCA  ONION. 

The  following  sorts  are  Italian  varieties,  and  are  well 
adapted  for  growing  in  the  Southern  States  : 

Queen, — This  is  the  earliest  of  the  Italian  sorts,  small, 
flat,  white  and  mild-flavored. 

Neapolitan  Marzajola, — An  early,  white,  flat  Onion, 
of  fine  flavor. 

Giant  Rocca, — (See  figure  72.)  A  very  large-growing 
globe-shaped  variety,  of  a  reddish-brown  color ;  flavor 
mild  and  sweet. 


254  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

Large  White  Italian  Tripoli  and  Large  Red  Italian 

Tripoli,— (See  figure  73.)     These  grow  to  a  large  size, 
and  are  later  than  either  of  the  preceding. 


Fig.  73. — WHITE   TRIPOLI   ONIOX. 

Potato  Onions  are  increased  by  the  bulbs  as  it  grows, 
splitting  into  six,  eight  or  ten  sections,  which  form  the 
crop  from  which  the  "set,"  or  root  for  next  season's 
planting  is  obtained.  These  are  planted  in  early  spring, 
in  rows  one  foot  apart,  three  or  four  inches  between  the 
onions,  and,  like  the  Onions  raised  from  sets,  are  gen- 
erally sold  green,  as  in  that  state  they  are  very  tender, 
while  in  the  dry  state  they  are  less  desirable  than  the 
ordinary  Onion. 

Top  Onions,  so-called,  are  propagated  by  the  peculiar 
growth  of  this  variety,  which  produces  a  cluster  of 
small  bulblets  on  the  Onion  stalk,  a  cluster  of  bulblets 
being  formed  instead  of  flowers  and  seeds.  In  all  respects 
its  culture  is  the  same  as  the  Potato  Onion,  only  that,  as 
the  bulbs  are  smaller,  they  can  be  planted  closer. 


VEGETABLES— PAKSLEY.  255 

PARSLEY. — (Petroselinum  sativum.) 

A  vegetable  in  more  general  use  for  garnishing  than 
any  other  plant  of  oar  gardens  ;  it  is  also  extensively 
used  in  soups,  stews,  etc.  Its  cultivation  forms  quite  an 
important  item  in  market  gardens,  particularly  under 
glass.  The  manner  of  cultivating  it  thus  is  by  sowing  it 
between  the  rows  of  a  growing  crop  of  Lettuce  in  our 
cold  frames  in  April.  As  it  is  slow  to  germinate,  it  only 
appears  at  the  time  the  Lettuce  is  cut  off  in  May.  It  is 
then  cleared  from  weeds,  hoed,  and  forms  a  growth  fit 
to  cut  a  month  before  that  sown  in  the  open  ground. 
After  the  first  cutting  has  been  made  in  June,  it  is  gen- 
erally so  low  in  price  as  not  to  be  worth  marketing,  so  it 
is  allowed  to  grow  through  the  summer  until  the  first 
week  in  September,  when  it  is  cut  off  close  to  the  ground 
and  thrown  away,  as  it  is  rarely  wanted  at  this  season. 
Ifc  is  again  hoed,  and  as  at  this  j:ime  it  makes  a  short, 
healthy  growth,  suitable  for  keeping  well  in  winter,  it  is 
stowed  away  in  narrow,  shallow  trenches,  exactly  in  the 
same  manner  in  which  we  preserve  Celery. 

This  way  of  growing  Parsley  is,  I  believe,  mainly  con- 
fined to  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  but  as  the  consump- 
tion of  such  an  article  is  necessarily  limited,  this  market 
has  been  oversupplied  of  late  years.  Formerly  it  has 
frequently  paid  twice  the  value  of  the  sash  that  covered 
it  in  one  season — $6  for  a  three  by  six  sash.  No  doubt, 
in  many  places,  this  system  of  growing  would  be  as  profit- 
able as  it  used  to  be  with  us.  When  not  grown  under  glass, 
it  should  be  sown  thickly  in  rows  a  foot  apart  in  early 
spring  in  the  open  ground.  Where  greenhouses  are  used  for 
forcing  vegetables,  Parsley  can  be  nicely  grown  under  the 
benches,  at  least  as  far  under  as  there  is  partial  light. 
This  is  best  done  by  sowing  the  seed  in  boxes  (three  or 
four  inches  deep,  eighteen  inches  wide,  and .  two  feet  in 
length),  in  August,  keeping  them  out-of-doors  until  cold 


256 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


weather  in  November,  and  then  placing  them  under  the 
benches  of  the  greenhouse,  but  close  to  the  walk,  where 
they  will  get  the  most  light,  as  this  space  cannot  be  util- 
ized for  anything  else,  except  for  forcing  Rhubarb  and 
Asparagus  or  Parsley.  (See  Chapter  10,  "  Greenhouses 
for  Forcing  Vegetable  Crops. "  )  If  Parsley  is  wanted  in 
winter,  it  will  be  found  to  do  nearly  as  well  in  this  posi- 
tion as  in  the  full  light. 

The  varieties  are  . 

Henderson's  Emerald,— (Sec  figure  74.)  The  finest 
variety  for  market,  decidedly  lighter  in  color  than  the 


Fig.  74  —EMERALD  PARSLEY. 

Double  and  Moss  Curled  varieties.  Is  particularly 
adapted  for  garnishing,  which  is  one  of  the  main  uses  to 
which  Parsley  is  put.  It  is  now  the  mam  sort  grown  by 
the  market  gardeners  of  New  York. 

Double  Curled. — A  dwarf  growing  variety,  beautifully 
curled.  The  kind  most  largely  grown  by  market  gar- 
deners, until  the  introduction  of  the  '"  Emerald." 

Fern  Leaved, — Distinct  and  beautiful.  Very  useful 
for  table  decoration,  as  it  appears  more  like  a  crested  Fern 
or  Moss  than  like  Parsley. 


VEGETABLES  —  PAESXIP. 


Plain.  —  Of  this  variety  the  leaves  are  plain.  It  is  har- 
dier, however,  than  any  of  the  curled  sorts. 

Eiamtmrg,  or  Turnip-Rooted.  —  A  fleshy-rooted  kind, 
the  roots  of  which  are  used  for  flavoring  soups. 


P ARSNIP,—  (Pastinaca  sativa. ) 

Of  late  years  our  market  garden  grounds  have  become 
too  valuable  to  be  used  in  growing  this  vegetable,  the 
competition  from  well  cultivated  farm  lands  having 
brought  it  down  below  our  paying  level.  Its  cultivation 
is,  in  all  respects,  similar  to  the  Carrot.  The  soil  most 
suitable  is  a  deep  and  sandy  loam,  moderately  enriched. 
It  is  sown  rather  thickly  in  our  gardens  in  early  spring, 
in  rows  which  are  about  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  apart  ; 
on  farm  lands  at  eighteen  or  twenty  inches,  or  wide 
enough  for  the  rows  to  be  worked  between  by  the  horse 
cultivator.  Like  all  vegetables  of  this  nature,  it  must  be 
thinned  out  to  a  distance  of  about  three  or  four  inches 
between  the  plants,  and  our  oft-repeated  caution  about 
weeds  is  here  again  enjoined.  Parsnips  are  used  almost 
exclusively  in  winter,  but  in  our  Northern  States  what  is 
wanted  for  winter  use  must  be  dug  up  in  fall,  and  packed 
away  in  the  manner  described  under  the  head  of  "  Pre- 
serving Vegetables  in  Winter."  What  are  wanted  for 
sale  or  use  in  spring,  are  best  left  in  the  bed  where  they 
grew,  being  entirely  hardy  in  our  coldest  districts. 
About  one-half  is  usually  dug  up  and  pitted  in  fall  for 
sale  in  winter,  and  the  other  half  left  over  for  spring. 
But  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  winter  supply  is  ex- 
hausted before  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  in  spring 
sufficiently  to  permit  of  their  being  dug,  and  when  pro- 
curable at  such  times,  they  command  almost  fabulous 


258  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

prices.  However,  the  average  price  is  just  about  that  of 
Carrots. 

The  varieties  are  confined  to  the 

Hollow  Crowned,— Mostly  used  by  market  gardeners. 

The  Student. — Grows  a  little  smaller,  but  has  a  more 
delicate  flavor. 

Early  Round. — A  small  round  early  sort. 


PEA. — (Pisum  sativum.) 

The  Pea  is  grown  largely  for  market  purposes  in  nearly 
every  State  in  the  Union,  the  time  at  which  it  is  sown 
and  matures  being  at  widely  different  dates  in  Northern 
and  Southern  sections.  In  any  district  its  highest  de- 
gree of  perfection  is  attained  under  a  comparatively  low 
temperature,  hence  it  is  one  of  the  many  vegetables  de- 
scribed as  best  to  be  sown  in  "  early  spring."  True,  it  is 
sown  for  a  succession  crop  throughout  the  summer 
months,  even  as  late  as  August,  but  the  first  sowings 
ever} where  always  produce  the  best  results,  and  it  is 
from  the  first  sowings  only  that  it  is  mostly  offered  in 
market.  For  market  purposes  it  is  more  a  crop  of  the 
farm  than  of  the  garden,  and  many  hundred  acres  are 
cultivated  in  Southern  Jersey  and  Long  Island  for  the 
New  York  market. 

Warm,  light  soils,  moderately  enriched  by  stable  ma- 
nure or  bone  dust,  are  best  adapted  to  its  culture,  but  if 
the  ground  has  been  manured  the  previous  year,  no  ma- 
nure is  needed.  The  whole  crop  is  marketed  by  July,  and 
is  usually  followed  by  a  second  crop  of  Late  Cabbages  or 
Turnips.  The  two  crops  together  average  a  profit  of 
from  $100  to  $200  per  acre,  according  to  earliness,  con- 
dition of  soil,  etc.  There  is  an  important  matter  con- 


VEGETABLES — PEA.  £59 

nected  "with  growing  Peas,  that  confines  their  culture  to 
the  vicinity  of  a  town  or  village — it  is  the  necessity  of 
being  able  to  get  a  large  number  of  hands  to  pick  at  the 
time  they  are  marketable.  The  variation  in  one  day  in 
the  market  is  not  unusually  from  $2  to  50  cents  per 
bushel,  which  shows  the  great  importance  of  an  early 
crop.  From  the  soft  condition  in  which  it  is  required  to 
be  gathered,  it  is  a  vegetable  not  very  manageable  to 
ship,  and  the  packages,  which  should  be  latticed  boxes 
or  baskets,  should  never  exceed  the  capacity  of  a  bushel, 
when  shipped  from  distances  requiring  from  two  to  three 
days  in  the  transit.  But  even  this  expense  and  care  are 
well  repaid  by  the  high  rates  for  which  the  first  lots  are 
sold.  When  grown  as  a  market  crop,  Peas  are  rarely  ever 
staked.  They  are  sown  in  single  rows  about  two  inches 
deep,  the  rows  two  to  three  feet  apart,  according  to  the 
variety  or  the  strength  of  the  soil.  When  grown  in  small 
quantities  for  private  use,  they  are  generally  sown  in 
double  rows,  six  or  eight  inches  apart,  and  staked  up  by 
brush,  for  the  taller  growing  kinds. 

The  varieties  are  very  numerous,  but  are  in  a  great 
state  of  confusion,  the  same  kind  being  often  sent  out 
under  a  dozen  names.  The  following  varieties  are  well- 
defined,  arranged  as  our  experience  gives  the  order  of 
merit  for  this  locality. 

PEAS — EXTEA   EARLY. 

First  of  All,— (See  figure  75.)  One  of  the  best  types 
of  the  Extra  Early  Class,  and  unsurpassed  as  a  market 
variety.  The  pods  are  of  good  size  and  well-filled.  A 
very  heavy  bearer,  and  can  be  picked  clean  in  two  pick- 
ings, thus  making  it  the  best  sort  for  early  planting  in 
market  gardens.  It  is  also  very  hardy,  and  when 
planted  in  the  fall  or  early  spring,  as  is  done  in  some 
parts  of  the  South,  usually  stands  the  cold  better  than 


260 


GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 


VEGETABLES— PEA.  261 

any  other  sort.     One  bushel  and  a  half  of   seed  is  re- 
quired per  acre. 

Improved  Daniel  O'Rourke  and  Extra  Early,— These 
are  excellent  early  varieties  and  great  favorites  in  all 
parts  of  the  country,  but  are  not  so  regular  in  habit  as 
the  First  of  All.  These,  as  well  as  the  First  of  All, 
should  be  sown  for  a  field  crop  in  rows  of  from  two  to 
two  and  a  half  feet  apart,  about  one  and  a  half  bushel 
of  seed  being  required  for  an  acre. 

American  Wonder, — (See  figure  76.)  One  of  the  best 
acquisitions  of  this  generation,  but  a  variety  perhaps  better 
suited  for  private  use  than  to  the  market  gardener.  It  is 
early  and  very  productive.  The  peas  are  wrinkled,  and  its 
distinctiveuess  consists  in  its  extremely  dwarf  growth, 
which  rarely  exceeeds  ten  inches  in  height.  Can  be 
sown  at  eighteen  inches  apart ;  two  bushels  of  seed  is  re- 
quired for  an  acre.  Like  all  wrinkled  peas,  the  flavor  is 
much  superior  to  the  round,  or  first  early  kinds. 

Alaska. — Very  distinct  and  first,  early;  foliage  very 
light  green,  vines  slender.  In  our  trials  this  year  (1886), 
it  was  shown  to  be  very  productive. 

Premium  Gem, — A  green,  wrinkled  marrow,  that 
comes  into  use  just  a  few  days  later  than  the  First  of 
All  or  Improved  Daniel  O'Eourke.  Jt  grows  from  twelve 
to  eighteen  inches  high,  is  very  productive,  and  of  excel- 
lent flavor. 

Kentish  Invicta, — About  five  days  later  than  the  First , 
of  All  and  Daniel  O'Rourke.  Very  productive,  and  pos- 
sesses fine  flavor.  Although  it  is  one  of  the  best  for  can- 
ning purposes,  it  is  also  largely  grown  for  market. 

McLean's  Advancer. — A  second  early  variety,  and  now 
a  great  favorite  with  market  growers  in  this  neighbor- 
hood, among  whom  it  is  often  known  as  the  Early 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


VEGETABLES — PEA. 


263 


Champion.     It  is  a  green  wrinkled  variety,  of  delicious 
flavor. 

FOR  THE   GENERAL   CROP. 

Champion  of  England. — This  is  still,  by  general  con- 
sent, acknowledged  to  be  the  best  of  the  late  sorts.  It  is 
a  tall-growing  kind,  attaining  a  height  of  four  feet  or 
more,  and  requires  to  ])e  stak- 
ed. The  pods  and  peas  are  of 
the  largest  size. 

Stratagem.— (See  figure  77.) 
Is  a  newer  variety,  and  by 
good  judges  considered  one  of 
the  best  Peas  raised  in  recent 
years.  It  is  a  dwarf -grow- 
ing, wrinkled,  blue  marrow, 
and  produces  large,  well-filled 
pods. 

Yorkshire  Hero.— A  splen- 
did wrinkled  green  marrow 
Pea,  of  a  branching  habit,  and 
an  abundant  bearer.  Seedsmen 
on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic 
find  their  sales  for  this  variety 
constantly  on  the  increase. 

Telephone.— A  newer  tall, 
wrinkled  marrow,  with  enorm- 
ous pods,  which  are  not  al- 
ways well-filled.  In  spite  of 
this,  it  is  becoming  a  favorite 
market  garden  sort. 


—STRATAGEM  PEA. 


Bliss'    Abundance! — Remarkably    productive  ;     grows 
from  twenty-four  to  thirty  inches  high. 

Bliss'    Everbearing, — Also   very   productive ;    grows 


264:  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  high.  Should  be 
planted  thinly,  and  is  noted  for  a  continuance  of  bearing. 

Pride  of  the  Market, — Also  a  new  sort,  strong  grow- 
ing, and  a  wonderful  bearer.  It  grows  only  from  eighteen 
to  twenty-four  inches  high,  producing  large  pods  of  Peas 
of  exceptionally  fine  flavor. 

Black-Eyed  and  White  Marrowfat,— These  are  both 
productive  and  hardy  varieties,  extensively  grown  as  field 
Peas,  to  be  used  dry.  They  are  also,  from  their  great 
productiveness,  grown  largely  in  both  private  and  mar- 
ket gardens,  but  they  are  not  of  so  fine  flavor  as  most 
other  varieties. 


PEPPER. — (Capsicum  annuum.) 

A  tropical  plant,  that  requires  to  be  started  in  hot-beds 
or  forcing-pits  in  the  Northern  States.  The  most  com- 
mon method  is  to  sow  in  hot-beds  in  March,  and  treat  in 
all  respects  as  directed  for  the  cultivation  of  the  Egg 
Plant.  Light  sandy  soils  are  rather  best  suited  for  its 
growth,  but  it  will  grow  tolerably  well  on  any  soil. 
When  cultivated  for  market  they  are  planted  in  rows  two 
feet  apart  and  fifteen  inches  between  the  plants.  The 
crop  is  only  moderately  profitable,  but  it  is  not  grown  in 
large  quantities,  the  main  consumption  of  it  being  by  the 
pickle  factories. 

The  varieties  are : 

Large  Bell  or  Bull  Nose, — An  early  variet}',  of  mild 
flavor,  and  a  favorite  sort  both  for  pickling  and  for  use 
in  the  natural  state. 

Sweet  Mountain  or  Mammoth.— Similar  to  the  Bull 
Nose,  but  larger  and  milder  in  flavor.  Used  to  make 
stuffed  pickles. 


VEGETABLES — POTATO.  265 

Rul)y  Kiil£, — Introduced  two  years  ago,  and  a  decided 
acquisition.  The  peppers  grow  from  four  and  a  half  to 
six  inches  long  by  three  and  a  half  to  four  inches  thick, 
are  bright-red  in  color,  and  are  mild  and  pleasant  to  the 
taste. 

Squash  or  Tomato-Shaped, — Generally  grown  for 
pickling,  hardly  so  early  as  the  Bull  Nose,  but  very  pro- 
ductive, and  the  leading  market  variety. 

Golden  Dawn, — Of  the  same  shape  and  size  as  the  Large 
Bell,  but  of  more  delicate  flavor,  while  the  color,  as  the 
name  indicates,  is  a  beautiful  golden  .yellow. 

Cranberry, — One. of  the  best  for  pickling.  The  fruit 
closely  resembles  the  Cranberry  in  appearance. 

Long  Ked  Cayenne, — The  variety  of  commerce.  Pods 
small,  cone-shaped,  scarlet  when  ripe.  It  is  quite  a 
late  variety,  but  the  pods  are  as  frequently  used  for  pick- 
ling green  as  when  ripe. 


POTATO.--  (SoZcmwi  tuberosum.) 


The  soil  acknowledged  to  be  best  suited  for  the  Potato 
is  sandy  loam  ;  in  all  heavy  soils  it  is  more  subject  to 
disease,  and  the  flavor  is  also  much  inferior  ;  this,  how- 
ever, is  true  of  nearly  all  vegetables,  heavy  land  inducing 
a  watery  insipidity  of  flavor.  Like  all  robust-growing 
vegetables,  Pototoes  can  be  grown  with  varying  success 
on  soils  of  all  kinds  and  in  all  conditions  of  fertility,  but 
it  is  every  way  most  profitable  to  use  an  abundance  of 
manure  when  it  is  at  all  attainable.  In  breaking  up  good 
pasture  land,  the  decaying  sod  answers  sufficiently  well 
for  the  first  year  in  lieu  of  manure.  Manure  is  applied 
either  in  the  rows  or  hills,  or  broadcast  over  the  surface, 
and  plowed  in  ;  the  latter  plan  being  in  all  cases  pre- 


2G6  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

ferable,  when  manure  can  be  obtained  in  sufficient  quan- 
tities. 

Potatoes,  when  grown  for  market  at  the  North,  are 
always  a  farm  crop,  the  receipts  per  acre  being  much  too 
low  for  the  regular  market  garden.  The  large  quantities 
that  are  planted  usually  prevent  the  use  of  manure  in  any 
other  way  except  in  the  rows.  When  thus  applied,  fur- 
rows are  plowed  out  in  spring,  after  the  ground  has  be- 
come dry  and  warm,  usually  three  feet  apart,  and  from 
four  to  five  inches  deep.  The  manure  is  spread  in  the 
furrow,  the  "  sets  "  or  "  seed  "  planted  thereon  from  eight 
to  ten  inches  apart,  and  the  furrow  again  covered  in  by 
the  plow.  As-  soon  as  the  shoots  are  seen  above  ground 
the  ridge  should  be  at  once  hoed,  and  the  cultivator  run 
between  the  rows.  As  they  advance  in  growth,  the  soil 
should  be  laid  up  on  each  side  against  the  row,  so  as  to 
form  a  slight  ridge. 

The  Potato  disease,  which  has  frequently  been  so  dis- 
astrous in  Ireland  and  parts  of  Scotland,  has  never  been 
very  devastating  here.  It  is  now  well  known  to  be  a  par- 
asitical fungus,  Peronosporainfestans,  for  which  all  reme- 
dies are  useless  when  the  crop  is  attacked.  Like  all  dis- 
eases of  this  kind,  the  only  help  we  have  is  prevention. 
As  far  as  experiments  have  gone,  they  have  shown  that 
Potatoes  are  always  less  liable  to  attacks  of  disease  or  rot 
if  planted  in  new  land,  broken  up  from  the  sod,  or  at 
least  that  which  has  not  been  long  in  cultivation. 
Another  enemy  to  this  crop  is  the  well-known  Colorado 
Potato  beetle.  Fortunately,  for  this  pest  we  have  a  cer- 
tain remedy  in  Paris  green,  mixed  with  twenty  parts  of 
flour,  applied  by  dusting  while  the  dew  is  on  the  leaves  in 
the  morning,  or  after  a  rain,  or  else  in  a  liquid  form  of  one 
ounce  of  Paris  green  to  ten  gallons  of  water.  But  which- 
ever way  it  is  applied,  it  should  be  begun  at  the  very  first 
appearance  of  the  beetles.  If  they  once  get  a  foothold, 
they  increase  so  rapidly  that  the  crop  is  often  destroyed 


VEGETABLES — POTATO.  267 

before  the  remedy  can  be  of  any  avail.  Paris  green  being 
a  deadly  poison,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  fields  on 
which  Potatoes  are  growing  should  be  protected  from 
cattle.  It  is  sometimes  supposed  that  danger  might 
arise  from  the  use  of  the  Paris  green  affecting  the  Potato 
tubers.  There  need  be  no  fear  of  this,  as  the  tubers  do 
not  in  any  way  absorb  it. 

The  Long  Island  farmers,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Xew 
York,  have  their  crops  of  Early  Potatoes  sold  off  early 
enough  in  July  to  get  the  ground  leveled  and  Late  Cab- 
bages planted  on  the  ridge  on  which  the  Potatoes  have 
been  growing,  sufficient  manure  being  left  in  the  ground 
to  carry  through  the  crop  of  Cabbage.  The  two  crops 
together  give  an  average  profit  of  $150  an  acre.  Potatoes 
may  be  preserved  during  winter  by. the  section  pit  system 
recommended  for  the  general  preservation  of  vegetables, 
or  in  a  frost-proof  cellar. 

The  varieties  of  the  Potato  are  very  numerous,  many 
of  them  having  only  a  local  reputation,  so  that  it  is  some- 
Avhat  difficult  to  name  the  best  for  such  an  extensive  ter- 
ritory as  ours.  But  few  of  the  varieties  named  below 
were*  grown  twenty  years  ago,  but  these  are  such  as  are 
now  in  very  general  demand,  which  indicates  that  they 
are  the  best  for  general  cultivation. 

Early  Rose. — A  standard  variety  everywhere.  It  is 
still  one  of  the  best  for  earliness,  quality  and  productive- 
ness yet  introduced. 

Vanguard* — Extremely  early,  perhaps  the  earliest  of 
all.  Quality  unsurpassed,  but  not  quite  so  heavy  a 
yielder  as  some  others. 

Pearl  of  Savoy, — A  good  yielder  and  a  very  excellent 
variety.  The  tubers  are  large  and  oblong ;  flesh,  white 
and  mealy. 

Beauty  of  Hebron, — One  of  the  best  early  sorts,  being 
very  productive  and  of  fine  quality. 


268 


GARDENING   FOK    PROFIT. 


Empire  State,— (See  figure  78.)  This  is  a  new  main 
crop  variety,  very  productive,  and  in  the  estimation  of 
the  originator,  Mr.  Coy  (to  whom  we  are  indebted  for 


the  Beauty  of  Hebron),  a  perfect  Potato  for  general  pur- 
poses. It  is  of  excellent  quality,  and  a  rough  and  vigor- 
ous grower. 

White  Elephant. — Is  late,  large,  of  good  quality,  and 
enormously  productive. 


VEGETABLES— POTATO.  269 

Clark's  No,  1,— (See  figure  79.)  This  is  said  to  be 
earlier  than  the  Early  Rose,  and  it  is  certainly  very  pro- 
ductive. The  flavor  is  excellent,  and  it  cooks  dry  and 


Fig.  79.—  CLMvK"S  NO.  1  POTATO. 

mealy.     A  great  favorite  about  Charleston,  S.  0.,  where 
it  is  grown  for  the  Northern  markets. 

St,  Patrick. — One  of  the  handsomest  varieties  in  cul- 
tivation. The  tubers  are  smooth,  with  very  few  and 
shallow  eyes.  A  good  yielder,  and  of  the  best  quality. 

Rural  Blush. — Spoken  of  very  higlily,  both  as  to  yield 
and  quality. 

Rochester  Favorite. — A  late  sort,  tubers  white  and 
oblong.  It  is  an  excellent  market  Potato,  as  it  is  an  im- 
mense yielder. 

Triumph.— An  .early  variety,  that  has  given  great  sat- 
isfaction, particularly  in  the  South.  Very  productive, 
and  of  good  quality. 

Perfect  Peachblow,— (See  figure  80.)  A  most  prom- 
ising new  variety,  resembling  somewhat  the  old  Peach- 


270  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

blow  in  general  appearance,  but    ripening   earlier  and 
cooking  through  very  quickly  and  evenly,  a  characteristic 


Fig.  80. — PERFECT  PEACHBLOW  POTATO. 

that  was  wanting  in  the  older  Peachblow.     The  flesh  is 
pure  white  and  the  quality  excellent. 

Considerable  discussion  has  at  various  times  occurred 
concerning  the  relative  merits  of  planting  cut  or  whole 
tubers,  but  is  yet  undecided,  each  method  having  its  ad- 
vocates ;  a  fact  which  goes  far  to  prove  that  it  is  of 
little  consequence  which  way  is  followed.  The  best 
rule,  iu  our  experience  is,  to  plant  the  whole  small 
tubers  if  fully  matured,  and  cut  the  larger  ones,  but  in 
either  case  leaving  enough  in  bulk  of  the  potato  to  give 
sufficient  sustenance  to  the  plant. 

The  superintendent  of  one  of  the  State  Experimental 


VEGETABLES— POTATO.  271 

Stations,  in  a  recent  report  on  experiments  made  with 
Potatoes,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  by  continually 
selecting  the  best  tubers,  a  variety  could  be  permanently 
improved.  Believing  this  to  be  an  error  which  should 
not  go  forth  unchallenged  from  such  an  authority,  I 
take  the  liberty,  at  the  risk  of  a  slight  digression,  to  give 
a  few  facts  which  argue  against  the  belief,  published  by 
me  in  an  agricultural  journal  in  1885,  under  the  head 
of  "Do  Plants  Vary  when  Propagated  by  Cuttings?" 
On  reading  what  is  said  about  "seed"  Potatoes,  I  notice 
the  assertion  is  made  that  "seed"  taken  from  the  most 
productive  hills  gave  a  larger  yield  of  tubers  than  that 
taken  from  the  least  productive.  I  am  inclined  to 
believe  that  further  experiments  will  show  that  this  in- 
creased productiveness  will  not  continue  to  hold,  because 
the  reason  for  the  greater  or  less  yield  was  probably  only 
an  accident  of  circumstances — specially  favorable  condi- 
tions of  the  set  made  to  form  the  hill,  or  by  being  highly 
fertilized,  or  some  such  cause  that  gave  it  this  tempo- 
rary advantage — and  that  the  chances  are  all  against  any 
permanent  improvement  being  made  by  such  selections. 

The  Potato  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  into 
Europe  in  1584.  If  the  original  tubers  had  had  the 
highest  cultivation  that  the  skill  of  man  could  give,  it  is 
exceedingly  doubtful  if  300  years  of  culture  would  have 
changed  them  in  the  slightest  degree,  if  propagation  had 
been  solely  from  the  tubers,  and  not  from  seed  proper. 

I  base  this  opinion  on  a  very  extended  experience  in 
the  cultivation  of  plants  from  cuttings.  Strawberry 
plants  taken  from  any  well  known  kind,  such  as  Sharp- 
less,  for  example,  from  strong,  vigorous  growing  plants, 
will  certainly  give  better  results  than  from  weak  plants 
of  the  same  kind  planted  in  the  same  soil.  But  if  the 
progeny  of  the  strong  and  the  weak  plants  are  again 
taken  and  replanted,  the  difference  between  the  two  would 
hardly  *be  perceptible  after  they  had  been  growing  to- 


272  GARDE^IKG   FOR   PROFIT. 

gether  under  the  some  conditions.  Every  now  and  then 
we  hear  of  varieties  of  fruits  or  flowers,  said  to  be  de- 
generating, that  are  propagated  from  cuttings,  grafts  or 
roots.  I  believe  there  is  no  such  thing  as  permanent  de- 
generation of  any  fruit,  flower  or  vegetable  that  is  raised 
from  cuttings,  grafts  or  roots.  The  Jargonelle  Pear,  the 
Ribston  Pippin  Apple,  the  Hamburg  Grape  or  the  Keen 
Seedling  Strawberry  of  the  English  gardens,  are  found  to 
look  just  as  good  and  as  bad,  under  different  conditions 
of  culture,  as  they  were  fifty  or  100  years  ago,  and  that 
any  change,  either  for  better  or  worse,  is  only  an  accident 
of  circumstances,  and  temporary.  For,  be  it  remembered, 
that  when  a  plant  is  raised  from,  cuttings,  as  in  the 
grape-vine,  grafts  as  in  a  Pear,  or  layers  as  in  a  Straw- 
berry, or  pieces  of  the  tuber  as  in  a  Potato,  such  parts,  are 
not  seed  proper,  but  are  merely  parts  of  the  same  indi- 
vidual that  was  first  called  into  existence.  The  Early  Rose 
Potato,  introduced  nearly  a  -quarter  of  a  century  ago,  is 
just  as  good  to-day,  under  proper  cultivation,  as  when 
first  introduced,  but  it  is  certainly  no  better.  It  is 
often  to  be  found  under  unfavorable  circumstances,  and 
then  may  be  supposed  to  have  degenerated  ;  but  when  it 
is  shown,  under  other  circumstances,  to  be  as  fine  as  when 
first  introduced,  how  can  the  assertion  of  permanent 
degeneracy  be  admitted  ? 

Permanent  improvement,  in  my  opinion,  in  varieties, 
can  only  be  made  by  the  selection  of  the  fittest  speci- 
mens that  have  been  raised  from  seed  proper.  Here  we 
have,  as  in  the  Early  Rose  Potato,  the  Sharpless  Straw- 
berry and  the  Concord  Grape,  varieties  that  have  shot 
ahead  of  their  fellows,  having  merits  that  the  general 
public  recognize,  but  all  the  art  of  man  cannot  further 
improve  these,  so  that  their  "progeny"  (to  use  a  con- 
venient, though,  perhaps,  not  a  strictly  correct  term), 
when  increased  by  "sets,"  "layers"  and  "cuttings," 
will  be  permanently  bettor  or  worse  than  when  first 


VEGETABLES— POTATO.  273 

called  into  existence.  It  is  a  very  common  error,  when 
a  luxuriant  crop  of  anything  is  seen  growing  under 
specially  good  culture,  to  imagine  that  cuttings,  roots  or 
grafts  from  such  plants  must  necessarily  give  similar 
results  when  the  same  conditions  to  grow  such  crops 
well  are  not  present.  Not  long  ago  Boston  was  famed 
foy  its  Rosebuds,  and  even  experienced  florists  paid 
double  price  for  stock  from  such  plants,  only  to  find  that 
in  their  hands  these  plants  would  not  produce  Boston 
Rosebuds.  Now  the  case  is  changed.  Madison,  New 
Jersey,  as  a  whole,  beats  Boston  in  Rose  culture,  and  the 
demand  has  changed  from  Boston  to  Madison,  and,  of 
course,  with  the  same  results,  for,  if  the  purchasers  of 
Madison  Roses  cannot  give  Madison  culture,  there  will 
be  no  Madison  Rosebuds.  While  we  admit  the  advan- 
tage of  a  healthy  stock,  and  even,  perhaps,  the  value  of 
a  change  of  stock,  what  I  claim  is,  that  no  culture  will 
permanently  change  the  variety  from  its  normal  condi- 
tion, and  that  the  only  advance  that  can  be  made  is  by 
selecting  the  best  specimens,  hybridizing  these  from 
their  seed,  again  selecting,  and  so  on  forward. 

To  be  sure,  we  have  in  rare  instances  what  are  known 
to  gardeners  as  "  sports,"  or  what  Darwin  has  called 
"bud  variation,"  which  may  be  improvements  on  the 
original  variety  or  the  reverse  ;  but  culture,  good  or  bad, 
has  nothing  to  do  with  such  anomalous  cases. 

We  often  see  it  asserted  as  a  matter  for  wonder, 
that  the  wild  Celery  of  English  marshes,  or  the  wild 
Carrot  of  the  hedge  rows,  have  attained  their  present 
high  condition  by  "cultivation."  If  cultivation  means 
that  man  has  through  generations  "selected  the 
fittest"  of  these  again  and  again,  taking  always  the 
"  flower  of  the  flock,"  GO  as  to  have  attained  the  present 
perfection,  then  that  is  true  ;  but  if  by  "  cultivation"  is 
meant  that  te  domestication  "  by  high  culture,  manuring, 
etc.,  in  a  garden  or  a  field  has  caused  such  results,  then, 
in  my  humble  opinion,  it  is  not  true. 


274  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

PUMPKIN.— (Cucurbita  Pepo.) 

The  Pumpkin  is  yet  offered  in  large  quantities  for  sale 
in  our  markets,  but  it  ought  to  be  banished  from  them 
as  it  has  for  some  time  been  from  our  gardens.  But  the 
good  people  of  our  cities  are  suspicious  of  all  innovations 
in  what  is  offered  them  to  eat,  and  it  will  be  many  years 
yet  before  the  masses  will  understand  that  the  modest, 
and  sometimes  uncouth  looking,  Squash  is  immeasurably 
superior,  for  all  culinary  purposes,  to  the  mammoth, 
rotund  Pumpkin.  The  Pumpkin  is  an  excellent  agricul- 
tural plant,  of  great  value  for  cattle,  but  I  only  allude 
to  it  here,  to  denounce  its  cultivation  or  use  as  a  garden 
vegetable. 


RADISH. — (Raphanus  sativus.) 

Eadishes  are  consumed  in  immense  quantities,  and 
are  one  of  the  vegetables  which  we  deem  of  no  little  im- 
portance as  a  market  crop.  To  have  them  early,  a  light 
rich  soil  is  the  best ;  heavy  or  clayey  soils  not  only  delay 
their  maturing,  but  produce  crops  much  inferior,  both 
in  appearance  and  flavor.  They  are  grown  by  us  by 
various  methods  ;  the  most  common  is,  after  sowing  a 
crop  of  Beets  in  rows  fourteen  or  fifteen  inches  apart, 
to  sow  Radishes  between.  The  Radishes  come  up  quick- 
ly, and  are  gathered  and  sold  usually  in  six  weeks  from 
the  time  of  sowing.  The  Beets  at  this  time  have  only 
become  large  enough  to  be  thinned,  and  will  not  be 
ready  for  at  least  a  month  later,  so  that  the  Radish 
crop  is  taken  from  same  ground  with  little  or  no  injury 
to  the  Beet  crop.  Another  method  is,  to  sow  them  be- 
tween the  rows  of  Early  Cabbages  or  Cauliflowers,  where 
they  also  are  gathered  off  so  soon  as  not  to  interfere  with 
these  crops. 


VEGETABLES  —  EADISH. 


275 


These  are  the  methods  practiced  in  our  gardens  here, 
where  land  is  so  valuable  that  we  must  make  it  always 
carry  double,  and  often  treble,  crops  in  a  season. 
Radishes  are  also  grown  in  some  places  very  extensively, 
on  land  devoted  exclusively  to  that  purpose 
in  spring.  Their  culture  thus  is  exceedingly 
simple.  The  ground  being  plowed  and  har- 
rowed well,  the  seed  is  sown,  and  the  harrow 
again  run  over,  which  places  the  seed  at  the 
proper  depth.  But  though  the  field  cultiva- 
tion of  this  vegetable  is  simple,  the  labor  of 
gathering,  tying  up,  and  washing,  preparatory 
for  market,  is  great,  which  detracts  largely 
from  the  profits.  Perhaps  the  average  receipts 
are  $300  per  acre,  but  the  expense,  before  this 
is  realized,  is  probably  one-half  that  amount. 
It  must  be  remembered  that,  in  many  cases,  it 
is  an  auxiliary  crop,  interfering  but  little  with 
our  main  spring  crops.  It  is  one  of  the  vege- 
tables convenient  to  ship,  and  the  early  sam- 
ples from  Norfolk,  Virginia,  average  $7.50  per 
barrel,  of  200  bunches  ;  or  about  $750  .per  acre, 
which  should  be  a  great  inducement  to  south- 
ern cultivators,  as  there  is  but  little  danger  of 
glutting  the  markets  with  fresh  vegetables  Fig.  81. 


shipped  from  a  southern  to  a  northBrn  port. 

For  forcing  Radishes  under  glass,  see  Chapter       Top- 

10,   on    "  Greenhouses   for   Forcing  Vegetable   Crops." 

Wood's  Early  Frame.  —  This  is  a  favorite  with  market 
gardeners,  as  it  is  at  least  ten  days  earlier  than  the'  Long 
Scarlet  Radish,,  which  it  very  much  resembles,  although 
it  is  not  hardly  as  long. 

Long  Scarlet  Short-Top.—  This  variety  is  grown  the 
country  over  in  rather  the  largest  quantity,  as  from  its 
shape  (when  tied  up  in  flat  bunches),  it  is  best  suited  to 


£76 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


shipping.     In  rich,  light  soils  its  average  length  is  about 
nine  inches.     (See  figure  81.) 

Beckert's  Chartier  Radish,— This,  shown  in  figure 
82,  is  decidedly  distinct  in  appearance  from  any  other 
Radish  in  cultivation.  Its  form  is  well  shown  by  our 

engraving,  the  color  at  the 
top  being  crimson,  running 
into  pink  about  the  middle, 
and  from  thence  downward 
it  is  a  pure  waxy  white.  It 
will  attain  a  very  large  size 
before  it  becomes  unfit  for 
the  table.  In  fact,  at  nearly 
all  stages  of  its  growth  the 
quality  is  excellent.  It  sold 
rapidly  in  market  during 
the  past  season. 

Early  Scarlet  Turnip,— 

More  delicate  in  flavor  than 
the  above,  and  for  this  rea- 
son more  in  demand  for 
home  consumption.  By  al- 
lowing it  sufficient  time  to 
grow,  it  attains  a  size  of 
three  inches  in  diameter, 
but  it  is  always  gathered  at  half  this  size. 

Early  Round  Dark  Red, — The  shape  is  the  same  as 
that  of  the  Early  Scarlet  Turnip,  and  it  differs  only  in 
the  skin,  being  darker  in  color,  and  in  making  much 
smaller  tops.  On  this  account  it  is  now  very  largely 
used  for  forcing  in  both  frames  and  greenhouses.  This 
and  the  preceding  varieties  are  the  sorts  that  are  grown 
most  largely  for  early  marketing.  (See  figure  83.) 

Red  ForcSnsr  Turnip, — The  tops  of  this  variety  are 
the  smallest  of  any  of  the  early  Radishes,  which,  with 


Fig.  82.—  BECKEKT'S    CnAKTIEK 
RADISH. 


VEGETABLES — RADISH. 


its  extreme  earliness,  make    it    especially  valuable  for 
strictly  forcing  purposes. 
White  Tipped  Scarlet  Turnip,— (See  figure  84.)   An 


Fig.  83. — EAELY  ROUND  DARK  Fig.  84. — WHITE   TIPPED  TURNIP 

KED  KADISH.  RADISH. 

early  variety  of  medium  size,  very  handsome  in  appear- 
ance, and  of  excellent  flavor. 

French  Breakfast,— (See  figure  85.)    A  variety  of 
quick  growth,  very  mild  and  tender,  and  one  of  the  best 


Fig.  85.— FRENCH  BREAKFAST 
RADISH. 


Fig.  86. — YELLOW  SUMMER  TURNIP 
BADISH. 


for  forcing.     Of  oval  form  ;   color,  scarlet,  tipped  with 
white. 


278  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

Olive-Shaped  Scarlet, — Of  oblong  shape  ;  flesh,  rose- 
color,  and  a  good  summer  variety. 

Later  varieties,  grown  for  fall  and  winter  use  : 

Yellow  and  Gray  Summer  Turnip,  —  Varieties  well 
suited  for  summer  use,  as  they  stand  the  heat  better 
than  the  early  sorts.  Both  are  mild  in  flavor.  The 
yellow  variety  is  shown  in  figure  86  ;  the  other  is  like 
it,  save  in  color. 

Chinese  Rose-colored  Winter.— Excellent  for  winter 
use  ;  flesh,  firm ;  skin  of  a  bright  rose  color. 

Long  and  Round  Black  Spanish. — Very  hardy  vari- 
eties. They  are  often  preserved,  keeping  as  well  as  any 
other  ropt,  in  sand,  until  mid-winter,  in  a  cellar  or  root- 
house.  They  are  of  large  size,  but  rather  harsh  in  flavor. 
Color,  grayish-black. 


RHUBARB.  —(Wieum  Ehaponticum). 

Rhubarb  is  now  cultivated  largely  for  market  purposes 
in  the  vicinity  of  all  large  cities,  and  few  private  gar- 
dens are  without  it.  Its  culture  is  of  the  simplest  kind. 
It  is  a  plant  that  adapts  itself  to  almost  any  soil,  pro- 
vided it  is  well  drained,  artificially  or  otherwise.  The 
preferable  soil  for  Rhubarb,  as  for  most  vegetables,  is  a 
deep,  sandy  loam.  Whatever  the  soil,  it  should  be 
plowed  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  deep,  the  subsoil  plow 
following  in  the  wake  of  the  other,  stirring  to  the  depth 
of  ten  or  twelve  inches  more ;  after  plowing,  harrow 
deeply  and  thoroughly. 

After  the  soil  is  prepared,  lines  are  struck  out  by  the 
plow  four  feet  apart  from  each  side  of  the  field  or  plot, 
so  that  they  will  intersect  at  right  angles.  At  these 
points  the  plants  are  set,  first  mixing  with  the  soil  three 
or  four  shovelfuls  of  well-rotted  manure  for  each  plant. 


VEGETABLES — RHUBARB.  279 

The  time  of  planting  in  the  Northern  or  Western  States 
may  be  either  in  the  fall  or  spring ;  at  the  South  the 
full  is  preferable. 

Rhubarb  is  usually  propagated  by  division  of  the  old 
roots ;  each  eye  or  bud,  when  broken  apart  with  a  root 
attached,  forming  a  plant.  But  making  a  plantation  of 
any  great  extent  in  this  way  is  expensive  to  the  begin- 
ner ;  as  the  roots  are  rarely  to  be  purchased  under  $50 
per  1,000  eyes,  and  as  about  3,000  plants  are  required 
for  an  acre,  quite  an  outlay  is  necessary. 

This  expense  may  be  obviated  by  increasing  the  plants 
by  seeds,  instead  of  by  division  of  the  roots.  In  the 
Northern  States,  the  best  time  to  sow  the  seed  is  about 
the  middle  of  April,  in  the  open  ground,  in  rows  a  foot 
apart,  if  the  plants  are  to  be  again  transplanted  ;  if  to  be 
left  where  sown,  the  rows  must  be  three  feet  apart,  and 
the  plants  thinned  out  in  the  rows  to  one  foot  apart. 
But  as  this  latter  plan  requires  the  occupation  of  the 
land  too  long,  the  usual  way  is  to  sow  closely  and  trans- 
plant. Care  must  be  taken  that  the  seed  is  well  trodden 
in  with  the  feet,  as  it  is  very  light  and  rather  slow  to 
germinate.  The  soil  best  suited  is  a  rich  sandy  loam, 
which  should  be  thoroughly  pulverized,  and  the  surface 
made  completely  level  before  sowing. 

The  plants  may  be  transplanted  from  the  seed-bed 
either  in  fall  or  spring. 

The  first  season  after  planting,  no  stalks  should  be 
pulled,  but  the  next  year  a  full  return  may  be  expected 
if  proper  attention  has  been  given  to  cultivation. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  name  the  annual  profits 
from  an  acre  of  Rhubarb  in  full  bearing,  as  everything 
depends  upon  earliness.  Even  here,  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  growers  vary  in  their  statements  from  $100 
to  $300  per  acre.  The  difference  of  a  week  in  earliness 
often  makes  a  difference  of  $150  and  $200. 

It  may  be  safe  to  say,  however,  that  it  will  average,  in 


280  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

this  vicinity,  a  profit  of  $250  per  acre  annually  from  the 
date  of  planting ;  in  many  places  where  there  is  less 
competition,  no  doubt  double  or  treble  that  amount  may 
be  realized.  Rhubarb  is  a  most  simple  and  convenient 
plant  for  forcing,  which  may  be  done  in  the  following 
manner  :  Tho  roots  are  dug  from  the  open  ground  in 
fall,  put  close  together  in  a  box  or  barrel,  and  soil  sifted 
in  to  fill  the  interstices  between  the  roots  ;  they  are 
then  placed  in  a  situation  where  the  temperature  will 
range  from  fifty-five  to  about  seventy-five  degrees,  with 
a  moderate  amount  of  moisture.  By  this  treatment 
Rhubarb  may  be  had  from  January  to  April.  The  roots 
may  be  placed  wherever  there  is  the  necessary  temper- 
ature. Light  is  not  at  all  necessary  ;  in  fact,  the  stalks 
of  Rhubarb  are  much  more  crisp  and  tender  when  forced 
without  exposure  to  direct  light ;  hence  the  roots  may 
be  placed  in  the  furnace  room  of  a  cellar,  under  the 
staging  of  a  greenhouse,  or  in  an  early  forcing  grapery. 
A  florist  in  Boston  told  me  a  few  years  ago,  that  he  had 
sold  enough  Rhubarb,  grown  under  his  greenhouse  stages, 
to  pay  his  coal  bill  (over  $100),  besides  having  all  he 
wanted  for  his  family  use.  Rhubarb  is  forced  quite  ex- 
tensively by  some  of  our  market  gardeners  ;  the  method 
pursued  by  them  is  to  lift  the  roots  from  the  open 
ground  in  the  fall,  place  them  as  closely  together  as  pos- 
sible in  such  pits  or  frames  as  are  used  for  hot-beds,  but 
about  two  feet  deep,  sifting  in  soil  so  as  to  fill  the  spaces 
between  the  roots.  On  the  approach  of  cold  weather, 
the  whole  is  covered  over  with  a  foot  or  so  of  dry  leaves, 
and  so  remains  until  about  February  first,  when  the 
leaves  are  removed  and  sashes  placed  011  the  frames. 
Sometimes  this  is  not  done  until  March,  the  sashes  being 
then  used  which  have  been  covering  Cabbage  plants 
through  the  winter.  But  little  ventilation  is  given  to 
the  frames  at  this  cold  season,  as  it  is  necessary  to  raise 
the  temperature  of  the  frame  by  the  action  of  the  sun's 


VEGETABLES — RHl'BARH.  281 

rays,  so  as  to  forward  the  crop.  It  greatly  aids  the  for- 
warding if  the  sashes  are  covered  up  at  night  by  straw 
mats  or  shutters.  Rhubarb  so  forced  matures  about  one 
month  before  it  is  marketable  from  the  open  ground, 
and  averages  about  $10  for  each  three  by  six  foot  sash. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  forcing  com- 


Fi<y.  87.— ST.  MARTIN'S  RHUBARB. 

' 

pletely  destroys  the  roots,  and  for  that  reason  it  is  only 
practiced  by  those  who  have  a  surplus  that  they  would 
otherwise  throw  away. 

The  principal  varieties  in  cultivation  are  : 

St,  Martin's* — (See  figure  87. )  A  new  London  variety, 
which  is  by  far  the  best,  being  of  rich  spicy  flavor, 
enormously  productive,  and  of  the  largest  size  of  stalk. 

The  other  two  well-known  kinds  are  "Linnaeus"  for 
early,  and  "Victoria"  for  late  crops. 


282 


GAKDENTKG   FOR   PEOFIT. 


SAGE.— (Solvia  officinalis). 
See  Thyme,  and  other  Sweet  Herbs. 


SALSIFY,  OB,  OYSTEK  PLANT. 

(Tragopogon  porrifolius). 

This  vegetable  is  coming  rapidly  into 
general  use  ;  patches  of  an  acre  in  extent 
are  seen  in  some  of  the  more  extensive 
gardens  here,  that  a  few  years  ago  grew 
only  a  few  rows.  It  should  be  sown  in 
early  spring.  Its  culture  is  in  all  re- 
spects similar  to  that  of  Carrots,  and  al- 
though its  consumption  is  as  yet  limited, 
for  what  is  grown  of  it,  the  prices  are 
high  and  very  remunerative.  It  is  more- 
over a  safe  root  to  cultivate,  for,  being 
entirely  hardy,  there  is  no  risk  whatever 
of  its  being  injured  by  frost,  should  it 
so  happen  that  the  digging  up  is  neglected 
in  the  hurry  of  fall  work.  It  is  gener- 
ally better,  however,  to  dig  it  up  and 
put  it  away  as  we  do  Parsnips  or  Car- 
rots, so  that  it  can  be  had  at  any  time 
during  winter.  It  usually  sells  at  higher 
rates  in  spring  than  in  fall  or  winter ; 
but  even  with  the  advance  in  price  is 
less  profitable  to  the  grower  when  sold 
in  spring,  as  that  being  a  busy  season, 

the  labor  expended   in   digging  it   up   and  getting  it 

ready,  is  then  of  much  more  value. 

As  this  vegetable  will  be  unknown  to  many,  I  will 

state  that  it  is  used  in  various  ways,  but  generally  boiled 

or  stewed,  like  Parsnips  or  Carrots.     It  is  also  used  to 


Fit 


.—SALSIFY. 


VEGETABLES — SCORZONERA — SEA    KALE.  283 

make  a  soup,  which  has  a  decided  flavor  of  the  oyster. 
It  is  also  eaten  as  a  salad,  sliced  and  dressed  with  vine- 
gar, salt  and  pepper.  There  are  no  varieties. 


SCORZONERA-BLACK  SALSIFY, 

(Scorzonera  Hispanica). 

Very  similar  fco  the  above  in  general  character,  and  of 
the  same  culture  and  use.  It  is  not,  however,  so  gener- 
ally esteemed  as  the  Oyster  Plant,  and  is  not  grown  ex- 
cept for  private  use,  and  even  for  that  purpose  sparingly. 


SEA  KALE,— (Crarribe  maritima). 

This  vegetable  is  much  esteemed  and  grown  largely  for 
market  purposes,  both  in  England  and  France,  and  no 
private  garden  of  any  extent  in  either  country  fs  consid- 
ered complete  without  it.  Here,  however,  even  yet  we 
seem  to  make  but  little  headway  in  its  cultivation.  I 
have  rarely  seen  it  offered  for  sale  in  our  markets,  and 
its  culture  is  practiced  in  but  few  private  gardens. 

There  is  an  impression  that  it  is  difficult  of  culture  in 
our  climate  ;  this  is  not  so  by  any  means  ;  it  is  equally 
as  easy  to  grow  it  here  as  it  is  in  England,  only  that, 
like  all  vegetables  requiring  artificial  heat  for  its  per- 
fection, its  cultivation  is  attended  with  more  expense 
than  that  of  vegetables  that  we  plant  in  the  open  ground, 
without  other  care  than  to  keep  them  clear  of  weeds. 

It  is  increased  either  by  roots  or  by  seed  ;  when  roots 
can  be  obtained  to  start  with,  they  are  quicker.  The 
manner  of  operating  with  them  is  as  follows  :  In  fall,  a 
few  old  plants  of  Sea  Kale  are  dug  up,  and  the  roots 
cut  in  pieces  of  from  two  to  three  inches  in  length  ; 
these  are  placed  in  boxes  of  sand  in  a  dry  cellar  until 


GARDENING    FOK   PROFIT. 


February  or  March  ;  they  are  then  strewn  on  the  surface 
of  a  hot-bed,  where,  in  a  week  or  two  they  will  emit 
roots  and  tops ;  they  are  then  potted  or  planted  in 
shallow  boxes  two  or  three  inches  apart,  hardened  off  for  a 
few  weeks,  and  as  soon  as  the  weather  is  settled,  planted 

out  in  rows  three  feet 
apart,  and  two  feet  between 
the  plants.  If  the  ground 
is  in  the  condition  that  it 
should  be,  Sea  Kale,  thus 
treated,  will  produce  crowns 
strong  enough  to  give  a  crop 
the  next  season  after  plant- 
ing. When  grown  from 
seed,  the  seed  should  be 
sown  in  hills  at  the  above 
distances  apart,  in  the  early 
spring,  each  hill  being  thin- 
ned out  to  three  or  four 
plants.  In  our  colder  lati- 
tudes, the  crowns  should  be 
covered  by  four  or  six  inches 
of  manure  or  leaves  as  a 
protection  from  frost, 

Sea  Kale  is  only  fit  for  use 
in  the  blanched  state,  con- 
sequently on  the  approach 
of  spring,  the  "  crowns  " 
should  be  covered  with  some 
light  material,  such  as  sand 
Fig.  89 —SEA  KALE.  or  leaf  mold,  to  the  depth  of 

twelve  or  fifteen  inches,  so 

that  the  young  shoot,  being  thus  excluded  from  the 
light,  will  become  blanched  in  growing  through  this 
covering  ;  or  sometimes  cans,  made  for  the  purpose,  or 
inverted  flower  pots  are  used,  the  only  object  being  to 


VEGETABLES — SHALLOTS— SOEREL.  £85 

exclude  light.  In  England  it  is  forced  extensively  by 
covering  over  the  whole  beds  with  leaves,  manure  or 
some  heating  material.  The  young  shoots,  when  cooked, 
have  a  flavor  something  between  Asparagus  and  Cauli- 
flower, but  is  much  preferred  to  either.  The  engraving 
(fig.  89)  shows  a  young  shoot  when  ready  for  the  table. 
The  fully  developed  leaves  are  large  and  robust. 


SHALLOTS.— (AlUum  Ascalonicum.) 

This  vegetable,  which  is  used  in  the  green  state  in  early 
spring  as  a  substitute  for  Onions,  is  planted  by  dividing 
the  bulbs  in  September,  and  planting  in  rows  one  foot 
apart  and  six  inches  between  the  plants  ;  it  makes  a 
slight  growth  and  forms  its  roots  in  the  fall.  On  the 
opening  of  spring  it  develops  rapidly,  and  the  single 
bulb,  planted  in  September,  will  have  increased  by  May 
a  dozen  fold.  From  its  hardy  nature,  coming  in  at  least 
three  weeks  earlier  than  the  Onion;  large  quantities  are 
sold  at  rates  corresponding  with  those  of  Onions  raised 
from  sets.  It,  with  us,  has  ever  been  a  profitable  vege- 
table to  raise,  and  I  have  rarely  found  the  profits  on  an 
acre  to  have  been  less  than  $200.  It  is  generally  cleared 
off  by  the  last  week  in  May,  giving  sufficient  time  to 
follow  with  second  crops  of  Early  Cabbage,  Beets,  Tur- 
nips, etc. 

SORREL. — (Rumcx  Acetosa). 

A  well-known  perennial  plant,  cultivated  to  some  ex- 
tent with  us.  It  is  used  in  soups  and  sauces,  mostly  by 
the  Germans  and  French.  In  the  French  markets  it  is 
nearly  as  abundant  as  Spinach  is  in  ours,  and  is  highly 
recommended  as  a  wholesome  vegetable.  Its  cultivation 
is  very  simple.  Seeds,  sown  thinly  in  rows  ia  early 


286  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

spring,  "will  give  a  heavy  crop  of  leaves  in  June  and 
July  ;  when  the  flower-stalk  of  the  Sorrel  starts  to  grow, 
it  should  be  cut  out,  which  will  add  greatly  to  the  devel- 
opment of  the  leaves.  The  crop  may  be  left  two  sea- 
sons, but  is  more  tender  when  annually  raised  from  seed. 


SPINACH.—  (Spinacia  oleracea.) 

This  is  a  very  important  crop  in  our  market  gardens, 
hundreds  of  acres  of  it  being  cultivated  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  New  York.  It  is  one  of  the  most  manageable 
of  all  vegetables,  requiring  but  little  culture,  and  may  be 
had  fit  for  use  the  entire  season. 

In  our  market  gardens  it  is  sown  in  early  spring  as  an 
auxiliary  crop,  between  the  rows  of  Early  Cabbage  ;  it 
comes  to  perfection  usually  in  four  or  five  weeks  after 
sowing.  At  this  season,  it  sells  at  a  low  price,  usually 
about  fifty  cents  per  barrel ;  but  it  requires  but  little 
labor,  and  generally  pays  about  150  per  acre  of  profit. 
The  main  and  important  crop  is  sown  in  drills  one  foot 
apart,  in  this  section  from  1st  to  15th  September,  or  late 
enough  in  fall  to  get  about  half  grown  before  cold 
weather  sets  in.  It  is  sometimes  covered  up  in  exposed 
places  with  straw  or  salt  hay  during  winter,  whi^h  pre- 
vents it  being  cut  with  the  frost ;  but  in  sheltered  fields 
here  there  is  no  necessity  for  covering. 

Any  soil  that  will  grow  a  good  Corn  crop  will  grow 
Spinach,  though,  as  is  the  case  with  all  other  vegetables 
in  which  the  leaf  or  stem  is  the  part  used,  the  land  can 
hardly  be  made  too  rich.  Our  practice  is  to  grow  it  on 
our  best  soils,  applying  not  less  than  fifty  tons  of  well- 
rotted  stable  manure  to  the  acre,  or  in  lieu  of  stable 
manure,  one  ton  of  bone  dust ;  or  about  1,200  pounds 
of  guano  sown  after  plowing,  and  deeply  harrowed  in. 
The  rows  are  made  with  the  ordinary  garden  ('e  marker," 


VEGETABLES — SPINACH.  287 

at  the  distance  of  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  apart.  The 
seed  is  sown  rather  thickly;  we  prefer  to  do  it  always  by 
hand,  using  from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds  per  acre  ;  when 
thickly  sown  the  plants  can  be  thinned  out,  so  that  a 
much  larger  yield  will  be  given.  We  sow  here  from  the 
5th  to  the  15th  of  September,  and  quite  frequently  sell, 
by  thinning  out,  fifty  or  seventy-five  barrels  from  an 
acre,  which  usually  in  October  and  November  sells  for 
$1  per  barrel.  This  thinning  out,  which  is  done  by  cut- 
ting out  the  plants  where  thickest  with  a  knife-,  if  care- 
fully performed,  does  not  at  all  injure  the  main  crop, 
which  is  to  stand  over  winter  until  spring,  I  may  here 
caution  the  inexperienced  of  the  necessity  of  treading 
down  the  soil  on  the  seed,  if  the  land  is  dry  ;  the  crop  is 
often  ruined  by  the  want  of  this  precaution,  in  continued 
hot,  dry  spells  that  are  frequent  with  us  during  Septem- 
ber. If  the  soil  is  left  loose,  the  hot  air  shrivels  up  the 
seed  so  that  it  will  never  germinate.  The  best  way  is 
to  tread  in  each  row  with  the  feet,  and  in  addition  to 
use  a  roller.  Probably  one-half  of  all  Spinach  seed  sown 
in  fall  fails  to  germinate,  and  from  no  other  cause  than 
the  failure  to  thus  firm  the  seed.  The  same  precaution 
is  necessary  in  the  sowing  for  Cabbage  and  Lettuce 
plants  ;  at  this  season  these  are  often  lost  from  the  same 
cause. 

Fair  crops  give  a  yield  of  200  barrels  per  acre  (average 
price,  $2  per  barrel);  at  a  high  estimate  the  expenses  will 
not  exceed  $250  per  acre,  so  that  it  is  safe  to  claim  a  net 
profit  of  $150,  although  extraordinary  crops  often  do 
much  more  than  this.  The  ground  can  be  cleared  early 
enough  in  May  to  follow  the  Spinach  with  a  crop  of 
Flat  Dutch  or  Early  Summer  Cabbage.  Spinach  is 
hardy  enough  to  grow  in  almost  any  part  of  the  country  ; 
but  in  districts  Avhere  the  thermometer  falls  below  zero, 
it  is  necessary  to  cover  it  up  about  Christmas  with  hay, 
straw,  or  leaves,  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches ;  it 


338  GARDENING    FOR   PilOFIT. 

is  best  done  just  as  a  snow  storm  is  setting  in,  as  the 
snow  settles  down  the  covering  and  keeps  it  from  blowing 
off.  Spinach  is  now  largely  grown  at  Norfolk,  Virginia, 
and  other  sections  of  the  South,  which  has,  of  late  years, 
seriously  interfered  with  the  Northern  grown  crop. 


Fig.  90. — NORFOLK  SAVOY-LEAVED  SPINACH. 

The  quantity  of  seed  per  acre  is  from  eight  to  twelve 
pounds,  according  to  the  distance  between  rows. 

Since  the  early  editions  of  this  book  appeared,  our 
list  has  been  increased  by  two  or  three  varieties  of  Spin- 
ach that  are  not  only  distinct  in  appearance,  but  which, 
in  many  sections  of  the  .country,  arc  now  grown  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  older  varieties.  The  " Savoy-Leaved" 
and  the  "  Thick-Leaved  "  sorts,  are  both  varieties  that 
have  secured  this  popularity. 


VEG  ET  ABLES — SPINACH. 


Norfolk  Savoy-Leaved.— (See  figure  90.)    This  pro- 
duces nearly  twice  the  weight  of  crop  of  the  older  varie- 


Fig.  91.— THICK-LEAVED  SPINACH. 

ties,  and  has  a  further  value  in  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
hardiest  of  all  varieties  of  Spinach.  In  appearance  the 
leaf  is  wrinkled  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Savoy  Cab- 


Fig.  92.— LONG  STANDING  SPINACH. 

bage,  hence  the  name.     From  the  tendency  of  this  sort 
to  run  to  seed,  it  should  never  be  sown  in  spring. 


290  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

Thick-Leaved,— (See  figure  91).  This  is  one  of  the 
best  market  sorts.  It  produces  a  large,  thick,  strong, 
green  leaf,  somewhat  crumpled,  and  possesses  the  valua- 
ble quality  of  standing  a  long  time  before  running  to  seed. 
This  variety  is  equally  good  for  spring  or  fall. 

Long  Standing.— (See  figure  92).  Except  in  the 
peculiarity  that  it  stands  a  long  time  before  running  to 
seed,  this  variety,  in  all  other  respects,  closely  approaches 
the  well-known  Round  Leaf,  but  it  certainly  has  the  char- 
acteristic of  not  running  to  seed. 

Round  Leaf* — This  is  the  variety  so  generally  culti- 
vated for  winter  use,  being  very  hardy,  standing  our 
severest  winters  with  little  injury. 

Large  Round  Leaf  Viroflay,— A  heavy  growing  sort, 
resembling  the  Thick-Leaved ;  hardy. 

Prickly, — Although  this  variety  is  usually  sown  in 
the  spring  and  summer,  it  also  stands  well  in  winter,  but 
gives  less  bulk  per  acre  than  the  others  named. 


SPINACH.— SUBSTITUTES  FOR. 

r 

As  Spinach  will  not  endure  the  hot  suns  of  summer, 
it  running  up  to  seed  at  once  if  sown  in  hot  weather, 
several  plants  are  used  as  substitutes,  and  though  these 
are  not  grown  for  market,  they  are  very  convenient  in 
the  family  garden. 

One  of  these  is  the  Swiss  Chard,  mentioned  under 
Beet,  several  forms  of  which  are  sold  as  Spinach  Beet 
and  Perpetual  Spinach.  Perhaps  the  best  substitute  for 
Spinach  in  the  summer  months  is  the 

New  Zealand  Spinach,— (Tetragonia  expansci). — A 
plant  of  the  same  character  and  uses,  but  of  a  different 
genus,  and  used  only  in  private  gardens.  It  is  a  remark- 


VEGETABLES — SPINACH — SQUASH.  291 

able  plant,  of  low  branching  habit,  growing  with  won- 
derful luxuriance  during  hot  weather,  single  plants 
often  measuring  six  feet  in  diameter.  The  leaves  are 
used  exactly  as  common  Spinach  ;  it  is  best  grown  by 
sowing  the  seeds  after  the  soil  is  well  warmed,  and  trans- 
planting to  three  feet  apart  in  very  rich,  warm  soil. 

Orach* — (Atriplex  Jiortensis.) — Another  plant  of  the 
same  family,  and  its  leaves  are  used  in  the  same  manner 
as  Spinach.  It  succeeds  best  if  sown  where  it  is  to  grow 
— in  rich,  moist  soil. 

"Sprouts,"  Kale  or  Borecole, — (Brassica  oleracca. 
Var.  Sabellica.)  A  form  of  the  Cabbage  grown  in  all 
respects  like  Spinach.  It  is  equally  hardy  and  affords 
similar  profits  under  like  conditions.  Like  Spinach,  it 
is  now  largely  grown  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  in  other 
places  farther  South.  It  is  also  grown  in  the  North- 
ern States,  but  not  to  the  same  extent  with  Spinach, 
probably  in  the  proportion  of  one  to  ten  only ;  about 
half  the  quantity  of  seed  is  required  for  Sprouts  as  for 
Spinach,  or  about  four  to  six  pounds  per  acre*.  The 
kinds  used  for  market  are  the  Dwarf  Curled  or  German 
"Sprouts,"  the  Early  Dwarf  Curled,  and  Dwarf  Green 
Curled  Scotch,  the  first-named  being  that  used  to  trans- 
plant the  others,  being  grown  like  Spinach. 

SQUASH. — (Cueurbita  Pepo,  and  C.  maxima.) 

A  class  of  vegetables  embracing  more  marked  distinc- 
tions in  sorts,  fitted  for  more  varied  uses,  and  to  be 
found,  during  the  extremes  of  the  season,  in  a  better 
state  of  perfection,  than,  perhaps,  any  other  product  of 
our  gardens.  Being  of  -tropical  origin,  their  growth  is 
all  consummated  during  summer ;  yet  the  fruit  of  the 
"  winter  varieties  "  may  be  kept,  with  a  little  care,  until 
May.  They  are  all  of  luxuriant  and  vigorous  growth, 


292  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

and  although  they  will  grow  readily  on  almost  any  soil, 
yet  there  is  hardly  anything  cultivated  that  will  so  well 
repay  generous  treatment.  Like  all  plants  of  this  class, 
it  is  useless  to  sow  until  the  weather  has  become  settled 
and  warm ;  next  to  Lima  Beans,  Squashes  should  be  the 
last  vegetable  planted.  Light  soils  are  best  suited  for 
their  growth,  and  it  is  most  economical  of  manure  to 
prepare  hills  for  the  seeds  in  the  ordinary  manner,  by 
incorporating  two  or  three  shovelfuls  of  well-rotted  ma- 
nure with  the  soil  for  each  hill ;  for  the  bush  varieties,, 
the  hills  should  be  from  three  to  four  feet  each  way,  and 
for  the  running  sorts  from  six  to  eight  feet.  Eight  or 
ten  seeds  should  be  sown  in  each  hill,  thinning  out  after 
they  have  attained  their  rough  leaves,  leaving  three  or 
four  of  the  strongest  plants. 

They  are  extensively  grown  for  market,  but  are  not 
sufficiently  profitable  for  our  highly  cultivated  gardens, 
and  are  therefore  grown  rather  as  a  farm -garden,  crop. 
They  vary  in  profit,  in  our  vicinity,  of  from  $100  to 
$25  per  .acre.  The  early  varieties  are  grown  quite  exten- 
sively in  the  vicinity  of  Norfolk,  Charleston  and  Savan- 
nah, and  shipped  North,  from  two  to  four  weeks  earlier 
than  they  can  be  had  here,  and,  like  all  such  commodi- 
ties, bring  three  or  four  times  the  price  of  those  grown 
in  this  vicinity,  in  quantities  that  glut  the  market. 

The  varieties  are  very  numerous,  and  from  the  facility 
with  which  they  will  cross,  it  is  very  difficult  to  retain 
the  different  kinds  pure. 

SUMMER   VARIETIES. 

Yellow  and  White  Bush  Scalloped.— (See  figure  93.) 
These  varieties  are  the  two  kinds  that  are  considered  the 
earliest,  and  are  grown  almost  exclusively  for  market 
for  first  crop.  From  the  hard  texture  of  the  rind,  they 
are  well  fitted  for  shipping,  and  are  grown  exclusively  at 


VEGETABLES — SQUASH.  293 

the  South  for  that  purpose.     Plant  three  to  four  feet 
apart  in  hills. 

Bush  Summer  Crook-Neck. — A  much  esteemed  vari- 
ety in  private  gardens.  Somewhat  similar  to  the  pre- 
ceding in  growth,  but  rather  more  dwarf.  The  fruit  is 
orange  yellow,  covered  with  warty  excrescences.  It  is 
considered  the  best  yielder  of  the  summer  varieties. 

Boston  Marrow, — This  variety  may  be  termed  second 
early,  coming  in  about  ten  days  after  the  bush  and  crook- 


Vie;.  93.  Fig.  94. 

WHITE  BUSH  SCALLOPED   SQUASH.  ESSEX  HYBRID   SQUASH. 

neck  sorts.  The  skin,  which  is  of  an  orange-yellow  color, 
is  very  thin,  the  flesh  being  dry,  fine-grained,  and  of 
unsurpassed  flavor. 

PALL   AND   WTKTER   VARIETIES. 

Essex  Hybrid,— (See  figure  94.)  Very  fine-grained., 
rich  and  sweet,  and  a  splendid  keeper.  The  flesh  is  very 
thick  and  solid.  As  a  Squash  for  winter  keeping  it  is 
unsurpassed. 

Hubbard,~-(See  figure  95.)  A  general  favorite,  and 
more  largely  grown  as  a  late  sort  than  any  other.  It  is 
of  large  size,  often  weighing  from  nine  to  ten  pounds. 


294  GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT. 

Color,  bluish-green,  occasionally  marked  with  brownish- 
orange  or  yellow.     Flesh,  fine-grained,  dry,  and  of  excel- 


Fig.  95. — HUBBAKD  SQUASH. 

lent  flavor.  It  can  be  had  in  use  from  September  to 
May.  Plant  in  hills  eight  feet  apart. 

Marblehead. — An  excellent  variety,  introduced  by 
Mr.  Gregory.  The  flesh  is  rather  lighter  in  color  than 
that  of  the  Hubbard,  but  it  resembles  that  variety  in 
shape,  although  it  has  a  harder  shell.  It  is  productive, 
of  rich  and  excellent  flavor,  and  a  fine  keeper.  Plant 
eight  feet  apart. 

Mammoth  Chili, — Grows  to  an  immense  size,  often 
weighing  200  pounds.  Excellent  for  all  purposes.  Plant 
nine  feet  apart. 

Winter  Crook-Xeck, — A  variety  largely  grown  in  some 
of  the  Eastern  States,  where  it  is  often  kept  the  entire 
winter.  Skin,  reddish-pink  when. matured  ;  flesh,  close- 
grained  and  sweet.  Plant  in  hills  nine  feet  apart. 

Vegetable  Marrow, — A  favorite  English  sort.  The 
fruit  is  very  variable  in  size,  ranging  from  nine  to  eighteen 


VEGETABLES— SWEET   POTATO.  295 

inches  in  length  by  from  four  to  six  inches  in  diameter. 
The  skin  is  greenish-yellow  ;  flesh,  white,  soft  and  of 
rich  flavor.  It  is  entirely  distinct  from  all  of  the  pre- 
ceding. Plant  eight  feet  apart. 


SWEET  POTATO.— (Ipomcea  Batatas.) 

The  Sweet  Potato  requires  a  rich,  light,  warm  soil.  It 
is  more  generally  grown  in  the  Southern  States  than  the 
common  Potato,  as  there  the  soil  and  climate  are  more 
congenial  to  it.  We  have  often  difficulty,  in  this  dis- 
trict, in  saving  the  tubers  sound  enough  until  spring,  to 
•start  for  sprouting  to  produce  young  plants.  The  great 
essentials  to  their  good  preservation  are  a  dry  and  rather 
warm  atmosphere ;  the  cellar,  suitable  to  preserve  the 
common  Potato,  being  usually  much  too  cold  and  damp 
for  this.  Where  there  is  no  place  of  the  necessary  high 
temperature,  it  is  best  to  get  them  in  spring  direct  from 
some  Southern  market,  where  they  can  always  be  had  in 
good  condition  ;  or  they  can  be  kept  by  packing  in  barrels 
in  dry  sand  and  keeping  them  in  a  warm  room.  In  this 
district  we  begin  to  start  the  potatoes  in  hot-beds  or 
forcing-pits  about  the  middle  of  April,  laying  them 
thickly  together  on  a  two-inch  layer  of  sand  and  leaf 
mold  composted  together,  or  sand  alone  will  suit  if  leaf 
mold  cannot  be  had.  As  soon  as  the  buds  or  eyes  show 
signs  of  starting,  cover  the  roots  completely  over  to  the 
thickness  of  an  inch  with  the  same  material.  Treat  as 
for  other  tender  plants  in  the  hot-bed  or  forcing-pit,  and 
the  sprouts  or  slips  will  be  ready  for  planting  uut  by  the 
first  of  June. 

Market  gardeners  often  make  the  sale  of  Sweet  Potato 
plants  a  very  profitable  operation,  immense  quantities  of 


296  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

them  being  sold  to  private  growers  at  the  planting  sea- 
son. As  the  sprouts  from  the  potatoes  come  up  very 
thickly,  repeated  thinnings  are  made,  which  is  not  only 
profitable  to  the  grower,  but  of  great  advantage  to  the 
remaining  plants,  by  giving  them  tlie  necessary  room  to 
grow.  One  grower  in  this  vicinity  informed  me  that  last 
season  he  sold  upwards  of  $1,000  worth  of  plants  from 
150  sashes,  which  were  sold  at  an  average  of  $1.25  per 
1,000.  The  profit  from  the  cultivation  of  the  plant  in 
the  field  is  something  less  than  that  from  Tomatoes,  but 
more  than  from  the  common  Potato. 

In  Southern  New  Jersey  and  further  south,  these  beds 
are  not  covered  with  glass,  but  with  a  light  covering  of 
straw  or  coarse  hay,  to  retain  the  warmth,  but  the 
beds  must  not  be  thus  made  before  the  first  week  in 
May,  in  New  Jersey.  This  is  removed  when  the  plants 
appear.  In  sections  of  the  country  where  Sweet  Potatoes 
are  grown  even  to  a  small  extent,  there  are  generally  men 
who  make  a  business  of  growing  the  plants,  which  are 
often  to  be  bought  as  low  as  $1  per  1,000,  and  it  will 
be  found  better  for  the  grower  to  purchase  than  to  raise 
them  himself,  if  he  has  not  the  proper  convenience  of 
sashes  and  hot-beds.  The  plants  are  set  out  in  rows 
three  or  four  feet  distant,  and  about  two  feet  apart  in 
the  rows,  using  a  good  shovelful  of  well-rotted  manure, 
mixed  in,  for  each  hill.  They  are  always  planted  in 
light,  sandy  soil,  heavy  soils  being  entirely  uncongenial 
to  the  nature  of  the  root.  As  they  advance  in  growth 
the  rows  are  hilled  up  with  the  plow  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  ordinary  Potatoes,  care  being  taken,  however, 
to  prevent  the  vines,  as  they  hang  over,  from  rooting  in 
the  sand.  This  is  done  by  running  along  the  vines,  occa- 
sionally under  them,  with  the  hand  to  break  the  young 
roots  and  keep  them  from  striking  into  the  soil.  If 
this  were  not  done  it  would  divert  the  growth  from  the 
main  root,  and  the  potatoes  would  be  small  and  nearly 


VEGETABLES — SWEET   POTATO.  297 

worthless.  In  the  Northern  States,  Sweet  Potatoes  must 
always  be  used  previous  to  December,  unless  they  can  be 
kept  in  a  warm  place. 

In  the  Southern  States  they  are  kept  in  pits  in  the 
open  ground  in  much  the  same  way  as  we  keep  ordinary 
Potatoes  at  the  North  ;  but  the  temperature  of  the  soil 
is  of  course  much  higher  in  Florida  and  other  extreme 
Southern  States  than  at  the  North.  Most  of  the  Sweet 
Potatoes  that  find  their  way  to  our  Northern  markets  in 
the  winter  and  spring  months,  are  grown  in  Georgia, 
South  Carolina  and  other  Southern  States.  They  are 
preserved  in  the  South  by  storing  them  in  houses  specially 
built  for  that  purpose.  The  Potatoes  are  packed  in  boxes 
not  more  than  eighteen  inches  deep,  which  are  placed  in 
tiers  one  above  the  other,  leaving  spaces  between  for  ven- 
tilation. But  in  extremely  cold  weather  it  is  necessary 
that  the  apartment  should  be  heated  in  some  way  so  that 
the  temperature  at  no  time  is  allowed  to  fall  below  fifty 
degrees.  There  is  no  necessity  for  packing  anything 
around  them  ;  if  the  heat  in  the  apartment  is  sufficient, 
they  will  keep  by  the  air  circulating  around  them  among 
the  shelves  or  boxes  in  which  they  are  placed.  Probably 
the  best  temperature  at  which  Sweet  Potatoes  can  be  kept 
in  winter  is  sixty  degrees.  The  following  are  the  sorts 
mostly  grown : 

Nansemond. — This  is  the  earliest  sort ;  tubers  large, 
from  three  to  four  inches  in  diameter  at  the  thickest 
part,  tapering  to  each  end,  and  from  five  to  eight  inches 
lon^ ;  flesh  dry,  sweet  arid  well  flavored. 

Red  Skinned, — This  variety  is  claimed  to  be  hardier 
than  the  preceding,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  this  is  the  case. 
It  is  a  long,  slender  variety,  mostly  grown  in  private 
gardens,  and  is  thought  to  be  of  a  richer  flavor  than  the 
yellow  or  white  sorts. 

Yellow  Skinned. — This  sort  is  mainly  cultivated  in  the 


298  GARDEXIXG    FOR    PROFIT. 

Southern  States,  where  it  attains  nearly  the  weight  of 
the  Nansemond  ;  it  requires  a  longer  season  than  that 
variety,  and  is  not  so  suitable  for  the  North.  It  is  of 
excellent  flavor  and  more  free  from  stringiness  than  any 
other  sort. 


T01&A.TO. — (Lycopersicum  esculentum.) 

This  vegetable  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  all  gar- 
den products  ;  hundred  of  acres  are  now  planted  with  it 
in  the  vicinity  of  all  large  cities,  and  the  facility  with 
which  it  is  managed,  places  it  readily  under  the  control  of 
the  least  experienced.  It  is  now  grown  here  almost  en- 
tirely by  those  who  grow  Peas,  Potatoes,  Melons,  and 
other  crops  of  the  "farm  gardens/'  as  our  market  gardens 
proper  are  too  highly  enriched  and  much  too  limited  in 
extent  to  render  the  cultivation  of  the  Tomato  profitable. 
To  produce  early  crops,  the  seed  must  be  sown  in  hot-beds 
or  forcing-pits,  about  ten  weeks  before  the  plants  may 
be  safely  put  in  the  open  ground.  Thus,  in  this  dis- 
trict, we  sow  in  the  hot-bed  about  the  first  week  in 
March ;  in  April  the  plants  are  fit  to  be  set  out,  at  a 
distance  of  four  or  five  inches  apart,  in  another  hot-bed. 
They  are  grown  there  (proper  attention  being  given  to 
the  hot-beds,  as  directed  under  that  head)  until  the  middle 
of  May,  when  it  is  safe  to  place  them  in  the  open  ground. 
They  are  planted,  for  early  crops,  on  light  sandy  soil,  at  a 
distance  of  three  feet  apart,  in  hills,  in  which  a  good 
shovelful  of  rotted  manure  has  been  mixed.  On  heavy 
soils,  which  are  not  suited  for  an  early  crop,  they  should 
be  planted  four  feet  apart.  Some  attach  great  importance 
to  topping  the  leading  shoo-t  of  the  Tomato,  so  that  it 
will  branch,  arguing  that  by  this  means  we  get  an  earlier 


VEGETABLES — TOMATO.  299 

and  heavier  crop ;  all  our  experience  shows  that  little 
benefit  is  derived  from  the  practice.  Like  all  vegetables 
grown  on  so  large  a  scale,  and  in  such  varying  soil  and 
climate,  the  Tomato  sells  in  our  markets  at  prices  varying 
widely,  from  $6  down  to  25  cents  per  bushel,  the  average 
price  for  those  raised  in  the  district,  being  about  75  cents 
per  bushel.  The  quantity  raised  per  acre  is  about  400 
bushels.  This  may  seem  at  first  glance  to  be  quite  a  profit- 
able crop  for  a  farmer ;  but  every  acre  necessitates  the 
use  of  at  least  100  sashes,  for,  on  the  second  transplanting, 
only  about  fifty  plants  can  be  grown  to  a  sash,  and  about 
5,000  plants  are  required  for  an  acre.  On  one  occasion, 
having  a  very  suitable  soil,  I  grew  about  four  acres  of 
Tomatoes  for  three  years,  which  realized  me  from  $1,500  to 
$2,000  annually  in  receipts ;  but  I  discovered  that  the 
operation  was  a  losing  one,  as,  to  raise  20,000  plants  for 
my  four  acres,  I  had  to  make  use  of  400  sashes,  in  which, 
in  rather  less  time  and  with  far  less  labor  than  it  took  to 
grow  the  Tomato  plants,  Lettuce  could  have  been  grown 
that  would  have  sold  for  at  least  $2  per  sash.  .  Thus  I 
lost  annually,  in  preparing  for  the  Tomato  plants,  half 
the  receipts  of  the  crop  even  before  they  were  planted  out. 
But  there  are  many  parts  of  the  country  where  Lettuce, 
thus  forwarded,  could  not  be  sold,  while  Tomatoes  could, 
which  would  materially  change  the  aspect  of  the  opera- 
tion. In  the  southern  sections  of  the  country,  convenient 
to  shipping,  Tomatoes  are  largely  grown  for  the  northern 
markets,  and  sold  there  at  prices  highly  remunerative  to 
the  grower.  In  many  instances,  in  the  Southern  States, 
the  cultivation  of  Tomatoes  for  market  is  carelessly  done, 
the  seed  being  sown  in  the  open  ground  and  the  plants 
transplanted,  as  we  do  Cabbages.  No  doubt,  by  starting 
in  January  or  February  with  the  hot- beds,  or  even  cold 
frames,  and  planting  ouc  in  March  or  April,  they  could 
be  had  at  least  two  weeks  earlier  than  they  are  now  sent 
to  us.  In  some  localities  thousands  of  acres  of  Tomatoes 


300  GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 

are  now  grown  by  farmers,  under  contract  for  canning 
purposes,  often  as  low  as  30  cents  per  bushel,  and,  on 
suitable  land,  even  this  low  price  will  pay  better  than 
most  farm  crops,  as  there  is  usually  no  necessity  for 
having  the  crop  early  for  canning. 

There  are  always  some  one  or  more  varieties,  said  to 
be  earlier  than  others,  sent  out  every  spring,  but  it  must 
be  confessed  that  the  varieties  that  we  cultivated  twenty 
years  ago  are  not  a  day  behind  in  earliness  those  issued 
as  "vastly  superior"  in  1886.  To  test  them  thoroughly, 
I  planted  twenty-five  plants  each  of  the  four  most  popular 
sorts,  under  circumstances  exactly  similar  in  all  respects; 
there  was  no  difference  whatever  in  earliness,  and  but 
little  perceptible  difference  in  productiveness. 

In  my  opinion,  the  extreme  point  of  earliness  in  Toma- 
toes has  been  reached  years  ago,  and  now  all  further  im- 
provements must  be  in  point  of  size,  smoothness  and  so- 
lidity ;  and  that  any  one  laying  claim  to  having  good 
varieties  a  specified  number  of  days  or  weeks  earlier  than 
those  we  already  have,  does  so  without  having  a  knowledge 
of  the  subject,  or  with  the  desire  to  impose  on  the  public. 
The  Tomato  is  a  plant  requiring  at  all  times  a  certain  high 
temperature  to  ripen  its  fruit ;  and  though  it  may  ripen 
in  Georgia  in  May,  in  Virginia  in  June,  in  Delaware  in 
July,  or  in  New  Jersey  in  August,  it  requires  the  same 
aggregate  amount  of  heat  to  do  the  work.  The  same  is 
true  of  most  fruits  and  vegetables ;  we  reach  a  certain 
point  of  earliness  with  a  given  variety  in  a  given  locality, 
when  the  temperature  tells  us  we  must  stop.  If  improve- 
ment in  earliness  were  progressive,  we  might  have  reason 
to  expect  that  the  Radish  or  Lettuce,  which  matures  with 
us  in  tlie  open  ground  here  in  May,  would  yet  mature 
in  April. 

I  believe  that  our  ordinary  methods  of  saving  Tomato 
and  all  other  seeds,  in  fact,  do  much  to  prevent  us  from 
making  any  advance  in  procuring  choice  varieties  ;  if 


VEGETABLES — TOMATO.  301 

we  would  only  take  the  trouble  to  always  select  the  first 
matured  fruits,  and  the  best  specimens  only,  for  seed, 
and  so  continue,  there  is  no  question  whatever  but  it 
would  amply  repay  the  trouble.  But  the  grower  for 
market  grudges  to  give  up  his  first  basket  of  fruit,  that 
may  realize  him  $5  or  $6,  for  a  few  ounces  of  seed,  know- 
ing that  he  can  get  plenty  when  his  crop  in  not  worth  the 
gathering  for  market.  But,  depend  upon  it,  he  makes  a 
mistake,  for  the  seed  from  his  first  fruits  would,  perhaps, 
pay  him  a  hundred  times  better,  if  used  for  sowing  the  next 
year,  than  any  price  he  might  get  for  it  in  the  market. 

In  private  gardens,  where  space  is  often  limited,  a 
greater  quantity  of  fruit  will  be  obtained  by  elevating 
the  branches  of  the  Tomato  from  the  ground  with  brush, 
such  as  is  used  for  sticking  Peas,  or  by  tying  to  laths 
nailed  against  a  board  fence ;  or,  what  is  neater  yet,  the 
hoop  training  system  as  practised  in  France.  But  for 
market  purposes,  on  a  large  scale,  it  would  require  too 
much  labor. 

The  following,  at  this  date,  are  the  leading  kinds  : 

Mikado. — (See  figure  96.)  This  is  the  second  season 
that  we  have  grown  this  variety,  and  I  predict  that  it 
will  be  certain  to  become  a  standard  sort.  It  is  one  of 
the  earliest  of  the  large  Tomatoes  ;  in  color  purplish-red  ; 
fruit  produced  in  immense  clusters,  single  fruits  often 
weighing  one  pound  and  a  half  each.  The  Mikado  is 
entirely  distinct  in  foliage  from  any  other  Tomato,  which 
allows  it  to  always  be  distinguished. 

Acme. — Very  early  and  handsome,  fruit  of  medium 
size,  perfectly  smooth  and  regular,  very  solid,  and  a  good 
keeper.  Color  distinct,  being  crimson  with  a  pinkish 
tinge.  In  some  markets  the  color  would  be  a  detriment ; 
in  others,  again,  it  would  be  considered  no  disadvantage. 

Paragon. — The  description  of  the  Acme  will  answer 
for  this,  except  that  in  the  Paragon  the  color  is  of  a 


132 


GARDENING   FOK   PROFIT. 


VEGETABLES — TOMATO.  303 

bright,  glossy  crimson,  and  entirely  free  from  the  pinkish 
tinge  that  characterizes  the  Acme. 

Perfection.— (See  figure  97.)     Color  blood  red.     It  is 
as  early  as  the  Canada  Victor  (one  of  the  first  to  ripen), 


Fig.   97. — PERFECTION' TOMATO. 

almost  round  in  shape,  perfectly  smooth,  and  very  solid. 
Of  the  best  quality  and  enormously  productive. 

Canada  Victor, — One  of  the  earliest,  of  medium  size, 
bright  red,  and  very  symmetrical  in  shape. 

Trophy, — No  Tomato  ever  introduced  created  the 
furore  that  this  did  when  it  was  first  brought  out.  It  is 
unsurpassed  in  size,  flavor,  and  productiveness,  but  is 
now  superseded  by  others  in  earliness  and  smoothness. 

General  Grant, — The  fruit  of  this  is  large  and  of  good 
quality,  and  ripens  evenly  and  thoroughly. 

Hathaway's  Excelsior.— An  early  variety,  of  medium 
size,  smooth,  very  solid,  and  of  excellent  quality. 

Red  and  Yellow  Plum  Tomato,— Beautiful  varieties, 
never  exceeding  two  inches  in  length  by  one  inch  in 
diameter.  Mainly  used  for  pickling  and  preserving. 


304  GAUD  EKING  FOE  PROFIT. 


TURNIP.—  (Brassica  campestris.) 

The  cultivation  of  the  Turnip  as  an  early  crop  for 
market  purposes,  sold  bunched  in  the  green  state,  is  in 
all  respects  the  same  as  detailed  for  Early  Beets.  The 
profits  of  the  crop  are  also  similar.  The  Turnip,  how- 
ever, for  early  crops,  is  rather  more  particular  about  soil 
than  the  Beet,  and  can  bast  be  produced  early  on  light 
sandy  or  gravelly  soils,  highly  enriched  with  manure. 

For  late  crops,  sowings  may  be  made,  for  Euta  Bagas, 
from  May  to  September,  in  the  different  sections  of  the 
country ;  here,  the  finest  roots  are  obtained  by  sowing 
about  first  week  in  June.  For  white  and  yellow  varie- 
ties, as  they  como  quicker  to  maturity,  sowing  should  be 
delayed  four  or  five  weeks  later.  Here,  we  sow  from  the 
middle  of  July  to  the  middle  of  August. 

Turnips,  whether  for  early  or  late  crops,  should  always 
be  sown  in  drills,  about  fourteen  or  eighteen  inches  apart. 
In  large  quantities,  they  are  sown  by  the  machine,  when 
one  pound  of  seed  will  be  enough  for  an  acre.  In  the 
Northern  States  it  is  necessary  to  take  them  up  on  the 
approach  of  severe  weather,  when  they  are  best  pre- 
served during  winter  by  being  pitted,  as  recommended 
for  other  roots.  The  late  crops  of  Turnips  are  by  no 
means  so  profitable  as  the  early,  rarely  realizing  to  the 
grower  more  than  $75  per  acre  ;  but  like  most  other  late 
crops  of  the  garden  or  farm,  they  can  be  grown  with  less 
manure,  are  less  perishable  if  not  immediately  sold,  and 
are  consequently  grown  by  the  farmer  on  his  less  valuable 
but  more  extensive  grounds.  Again  let  me  reiterate  the 
necessity  for  firming  the  soil  around  the  seeds  of  the 
Turnip  crop,  sown  in  the  dry,  hot  weather  in  August. 
Thousands  of  acres  fail  to  germinate  from  no  other 
cause,  while  in  England  in  1885  fully,  one-half  of  the 
crop  seemed  to  me  was  lost,  solely  from  lack  of  this  pre- 


VEGETABLES — TURNIP. 


305 


caution.  There  had  been  no  rain,  even  to  lay  the  dust, 
for  a  period  of  eight  weeks  in  summer — an  experience 
almost  unprecedented  there,  and  no  provision  had  been 
made  for  firming  the  soil  over  the  seed,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence it  was  shriveled  arid  dried,  and  failed  to  grow. 
We  here  ht?ve  nearly  always  such  hot,  dry  weather  when 


Fig.  98.— 

WHITE  EGG  TUKfllF. 


Fig.  99.- 
EXTKA  EARLY  MILAN  TURNIP. 


Turnips  are  sown  for  late  crops,  and  hence  the  necessity 
of  always  firming  the  soil. 
The  following  are  the  leading  varieties  grown  : 

White  Eff£,— (See  figure  98.)  This  in  shape,  is  nearly 
oval  or  egg,  its  flesh  is  firm  and  fine-grained,  skin  thin 
and  smooth.  The  flavor  is  mild  and  sweet,  rendering  it 


306  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

very  desirable  for  table  use,  while  its  attractive  appear- 
ance makes  it  a  most  saleable  variety  for  market  purposes. 

Extra  Early  II Han, — (See  figure  99.)  This  is  an  early 
strap-leaved  variety,  coming  into  use  a  week  or  ten  days 
before  any  of  the  ordinary  early  sorts.  The  bulbs  are 
white,  with  a  purple  top,  round  and  solid ;  flesh  pure 
white,  sweet  and  crisp. 

Red-Top  Strap-Leaf. — A  rapid  grower  and  of  mild 
flavor.  The  most  popular  variety  for  early  use,  grown 
either  for  the  table  or  for  stock. 

Purple-Top  White  Globe.— (See  figure  100.)  A  very 
heavy  cropping,  early  variety,  of  globe  shape.  It  has  a 


Fig.  100. — PURPLE-TOP   WHITE   GLOBE   TUKNIP. 

very  handsome  looking  bulb,  and  is  rapidly  taking  the 
lead  over  other  varieties  for  market  garden  purposes. 

Amber  Globe. — In  great  favor  in  the  South.  Attains 
a  large  size,  flesh  solid  and  sweet,  hardy,  and  a  good 
keeper. 

Golden  Ball. — This  has  no  superior  for  table  use,  being 
of  excellent  flavor,  globe-shaped,  and  of  a  beautiful  yel- 
low color.  It  is  a  very  rapid  grower. 

Snowball.— A  round,  pure  white  variety,  of  superior 
flavor  ;  excellent  for  market, 


VEGETABLES — TUitNIP. 


307 


Snow- White. — Olive-shaped,  very  hardy,  quality  the 
best. 

Seven-Top. — This  is  the  variety  so  largely  grown  in 
the  Southern  States  for  Turnip  salad  or  greens. 


TURNIP.— RUTA  BAGA  OR  SWEDISET. 

Improved  American  (Purple-Top).— (See  figure  101.) 
This  is  the  leading  variety  ;  very  hardy  and  productive  ; 


Fig.  101.— 1MPKOVED   AMERICAN  FUIU'J^-TOP  RUTA  BAGA. 

flesh  yellow,  solid,  sweet,  and  fine  flavored  ;  equally  good 
for  stock  or  table  use ;  the  principal  variety  raised  by 
market  gardeners  on  Long  Island,  and  the  best  of 
all  yellow  Turnips.  In  our  trial  grounds  -we  find 
American-grown  seed,  of  this  variety,  to  yield  better- 
shaped  and  cleaner  Turnips  than  does  imported  seed. 


308  GARDENING   FOK   PKOFIT. 

Shamrock. — One  of  the  finest  purple- top  varieties  in 
cultivation  ;  forms  a  handsome  bulb,  with  small  top  and 
very  few  leaves  ;  an  excellent  keeper  and  good  for  stock 
or  table  use. 

Large  White  French.— A  superior  variety  for  table  or 
stock  ;  flesh  firm,  white  and  solid  ;  attains  a  large  size, 
and  has  a  very  rich  and  sweet  flavor ;  a  very  popular 
variety. 


THYME,     SAGE,    SUMMER     SAVORY,    AND    MAR- 
JORAM. 

I  believe  even  yet  the  cultivation  of  Sweet  Herbs,  for 
market  purposes,  is  but  little  known  in  this  country,  ex- 
cept in  the  vegetable  gardens  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  ;  there  it  is  practised  to  an  extent  of  perhaps  100 
to  150  acres,  a  fair  average  profit  of  which  would  be 
about  $250  per  acre.  Like  the  crops  of  Celery,  Spinach, 
or  Horseradish,  they  are  grown  only  as  second  crops, 
that  is,  they  are  planted  in  July,  after  an  early  crop  of 
Peas,  Cabbages,  Beets,  or  Onions  has  been  sold  off. 
The  kinds  are  Thyme,  Sage,  Summer  Savory,  and 
Sweet  Marjoram,  the  former  two  being  grown  in  the  ratio 
of  ten  acres  to  one  of  the  others. 

The  seed  is  sown  in  rows  in  April  in  rich  mellow  soil, 
carefully  kept  clean  from  weeds  until  the  plants  are  fit  to 
set  out,  which  may  be  done  any  time  that  the  ground  is 
ready  from  middle  of  June  until  end  of  July.  As  the 
plants  are  usually  small  and  delicate,  it  is  necessary  that 
the  ground  be  well  fined  down  by  harrowing  with  the  disc 
harrow,  or  raking  before  planting.  The  distance  apart, 
for  all  the  kinds,  is  about  the  same,  namely,  twelve 
inches  between  the  rows,  and  eight  or  ten  inches  be- 
tween the  plants ;  the  lines  are  marked  out  by  the 
" marker."  This  is  the  "marker"  used  for  many 
other  purposes  ;  in  lining  out  the  rows  for  Early  Cab- 


SWEET   HERBS — THYME — SAGE,  ETC.  309 

bages,  for  instance,  every  alternate  line  is  planted, 
thus  leaving  them  two  feet  apart,  their  proper  dis- 
tance. (See  Implements.)  In  eight  or  ten  days  after 
the  herb  crop  has  been  planted,  the  ground  is  "hoed" 
lightly  over  by  a  steel  rake,  which  disturbs  the  sur- 
face sufficiently  to  destroy  the  crop  of  weeds  that  are 
just  beginning  to  germinate  ;  it  is  done  in  one-third  of 
the  time  that  it  could  be  done  by  a  hoe,  and  answers  the 
purpose  quite  as  well,  as  deep  hoeing  at  this  early  stage 
of  planting  is  perfectly  useless.  In  ten  or  twelve  days 
more,  the  same  operation  is  repeated  with  the  steel  rake, 
which  usually  effectually  destroys  all  weeds,  the  seeds  "of 
which  are  near  enough  to  the  surface  to  germinate.  We 
use  the  steel  rake  in  lieu  of  a  hoe  on  all  our  crops,  im- 
mediately after  planting,  for,  as  before  said,  deep  hoeing 
on  plants  of  any  kind  when  newly  planted,  is  quite  un- 
necessary ,and  by  the  steady  application  of  the  rake 
weeds  are  easily  kept  down,  and  it  is  great  economy  of 
labor  never  to  allow  them  to  start.  By  the  middle  of 
September  the  herb  crop  usually  covers  the  ground  com- 
pletely, looking  like  a  field  of  clover.  Allow  this  mass 
to  grow  for  another  month  as  it  is,  and  you  would  not 
increase  the  weight  of  leaves ;  the  plants  would  grow 
taller,  keeping  the  green  and  marketable  leaves  on  the 
top,  but  only  yellow  and  withered  ones  and  plenty  of 
woody  stems  below.  But  by  cutting  but  every  alternate 
row  (each  plant  making  about  two  bunches),  the  remain- 
ing rows  are  allowed  light  and  air,  and  in  three  or  four 
weeks  will  have  spread  so  as  again  to  cover  up  the  entire 
surface,  from  which  half  the  crop  has  already  been 
gathered.  We  treat  Sage  in  all  respects  the  same  as 
Thyme  ;  and  I  have  seen  both  these  herbs  on  rich  soil  not 
only  meet  when  left  two  feet  apart,  but  when  every  other 
row  at  two  feet  apart  was  cut  out,  almost  meet  again  at 
four  feet  apart. 

By  this  method  of  cutting  out  every  other  row,  fully  a 


310  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

double  crop  is  taken,  and  of  a  quality  superior  to  what  it 
would  be  were  it  allowed  to  grow  without  being  thus 
thinned  out.  About  thirty  years  ago  I  was  lucky  enough 
to  discover  the  importance  of  this  plan  of  doubling  our 
crops  of  herbs,  and  as  I  had  not,  in  those  days,  begun  to 
tell  "  what  I  know  about  gardening,"  I  kept  my  own 
counsel  for  some  years  before  my  neighbors  discovered 
the  plan.  Herbs  are  regarded  as  a  safe  crop  for  the  nur- 
ket  gardener  ;  they  are  less  perishable  than  anything  else 
grown,  for.  if  there  be  any  interruption  to  their  sale  in  a 
green  state,  they  can,  if  necessary,  be  dried  and  boxed  up 
and  sold  in  the  dry  state,  months  after.  The  price  now 
is  from  $6  to  $10  per  1,000  bunches,  and  we  always  pre- 
fer to  dry  them  rather  than  sell  lower  than  $6  per  1,000, 
experience  telling  us  that  the  market  will  usually  so  reg- 
ulate itself  as  to  handsomely  pay  for  holding  back  the 
sale.  The  cost  of  getting  the  crop  raised  and  marketed 
will  average  about  8150  per  acre,  o.ne-half  of  the  expense 
being  in  tying  it  in  bunches.  But  with  many  of  our  in- 
dustrious German  gardeners  it  does  not  cost  half  that,  as 
the  tying  up  is  usually  done  by  their  wives  and  children. 

There  are  but  few  varieties  among  Herbs,  but  of  Thyme 
there  are  several,  and  it  is  very  important  to  plant  only 
what  is  known  as  the  "  spreading  variety  ; "  an  upright 
sort,  sometimes  sold,  is  worthless  as  a  market  crop.  The 
Sage,  known  as  the  Broad-leaved,  is  the  best. 

I  am  often  asked,  by  correspondents  at  a  distance,  in 
relation  to  the  best  way  of  selling  herbs  in  Xew  York 
City.  I  will  here  say,  that  there  is  no  certain  sale  that  I 
know  of,  unless  they  are  in  a  green  state.  The  season 
for  selling  is  October,  November  and  December  ;  and  if 
shipped  in  open  crates,  so  arranged  by  divisions  of  slats 
that  not  more  than  eight  or  nine  inches  of  a  layer  would 
be  together,  they  could  be  shipped  at  that  cool  season  to 
distances  requiring  fifty  or  sixty  hours  in  the  transit. 
The  average  receipts  per  acre  is  now  about 


WHEN   TO   SO\V   IX   THE   SOUTH.  311 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

WHEN    TO    SOW   AND    PLANT    IN    THE    SOUTHERN 
STATES. 

Yv'e  have  hundreds  of  letters  each  season  making  in- 
quiries on  this  subject.  From  the  great  variation  in  lat- 
itude, soils,  shelter,  etc.,  it  is  impossible  to  give  accurate 
information  on  the  subject,  for  the  date  that  would 
answer  for  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  or  Jackson- 
ville, Fla.,  would  not  do  for  Norfolk,  Ya.,  or  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  but  at  the  risk,  in  some  few  cases,  of  repeating  in- 
structions already  given,  I  will  endeavor  to  approximate 
as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  dates  at  which  vegetables 
should  be  sown  and  planted  in  the  Southern  States. 
The  instructions  for  culture  vary  but  little  from  what  is 
practised  at  the  North,  so  the  reader  is  referred  to  each 
article  under  its  proper  head  for  cultural  instructions. 

Asparagus. — Whether  raised  from  seed  or  from  plants, 
had  better  be  started  in  the  fall  mouths,  varying,  accord- 
ing to  latitude,  from  the  1st  of  October  to  the  1st  of 
December,  earlier,  as  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  to  the  latest 
date  in  South  Carolina,  Florida,  Louisiana,  and  Texas. 
The  plant  is  hardy,  and  consequently  will  have  made 
roots  enough  to  sustain  itself  through  the  cool  season,  if 
sown  at  these  dates,  and  be  ready  for  vigorous  growth  as 
soon  as  vegetation  starts  in  spring. 

Beans;  Bush  or  Pole.— Are  of  tropical  origin,  and 
consequently  belong  to  what  are  classed  as  "tender" 
vegetables,  and  when  wan  ted  for  early  crop,  as  nearly  all 
Southern  vegetables  are,  should  not  be  sown  until  all 
danger  from  chilly  weather  is  past — not  before  the  night 
temperature  will  average  fifty-five  degrees.  Perhaps  one 
of  the  best  rules  is  to  delay  sowing  or  planting  in  the 
open  ground  until  such  date  as  corn  can  be  safely  planted. 


312  GAKDEXIXG    FOR    PROFIT. 

Beets. — Are  of  intermediate  hardiness  ;  not  sufficiently 
hardy  to  be  sown  and  wintered  over  like  Asparagus  or 
Spinach,  yet  hardy  enough  to  be  sown  three  or  four 
weeks  earlier  than  Beans  or  Corn.  Tor  example,  if  the 
Corn-planting  season  is  March  in  extreme  Southern 
points,  Beets  may  be  sown  at  the  same  place  in  February. 

Cabbage. — Is  perhaps  the  most  important  of  all  South- 
ern crops  raised  for  the  Northern  market,  and  much— 
very  much — of  the  success  of  the  crop  depends  upon  when 
sown  and  the  quality  of  seed  used.  Taking  the  latitude 
of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  or  Savannah,  Georgia,  as  a 
basis,  the  usual  time  of  sowing  there,  in  the  open 
ground,  is  from  October  5th  to  15th,  but  even  at  the 
later  date,  the  favorite  variety,  "  Early  Summer,"  may 
run  to  seed  if  the  season  is  mild  ;  so  we  strongly  advise  to 
sow,  at  least  a  portion  of  the  crop,  ten  days  later — say 
from  October  20th  to  30th — and  so  shape  the  seed-beds 
that  they  can  be  covered  up  by  "sashes"  made  of 
muslin,  or  the  protecting  cloth  already  alluded  to,  on 
cold  nights — exposing  them,  of  course,  to  the  light,  on 
warm,  bright  days. 

Cauliflower* — Same  as  for  Cabbage. 

Celery,— Being  a  winter  vegetable,  is  never  shipped 
from  South  to  North,  as  it  can  be  grown  much  cheaper 
North  ;  but  there  is  a  growing  local  demand  for  Celery 
at  many  Southern  points.  The  seed,  to  produce  plants, 
cannot  safely  be  sown  South  in  the  spring  for  Celery- 
growing,  as  in  most  instances,  from  the  longer  season,  it 
would  run  to  seed,  even  if  it  could  be  carried  through  the 
hot  weather.  My  advice  would  be  to  sow  at  different 
periods,  say  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of 
August,  using  the  protecting  cloth  "sashes"  already 
described,  during  the  hot  sunshine,  say  from  9  A.  M.  to 
4  P.  M.,  watering  them,  when  dry,  in  the  afternoon  after 
taking  off  the  sashes.  As  several  thousand  Celery  plants 


WHEX   TO   SOW   AT  THE   SOUTH.  313 

can  be  grown. under  a  three  by  six  feet  sash,  it  will  repay 
the  labor  in  such  places  as  this,  where  protection  against 
the  sun  is  a  necessity. 

Collards. — Require  to  be  sown  about  the  same  date  as 
Spinach,  which  see. 

Corn, — Sweet  Corn  is  a  valuable  crop  in  some  sections 
South,  to  be  sold  in  our  Northern  markets.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  tender  plants.  Thousands  of  acres  are  sacri- 
ficed every  season  by  impatient  cultivators,  who,  deluded 
by  a  few  warm  days  in  spring,  plant  too  early.  No 
date  can  be  given  with  safety,  only,  as  a  rule,  one 
will  be  safer  to  be  a  little  behind  his  neighbor  than 
before  him.  If  the  usual  date  is  the  1st  of  the  month, 
you  will  be  certain  to  catch  up  if  you  wait  until  the  4th 
or  5th,  as  it  is  a  crop  easily  checked  even  by  a  slight 
chill.  It  may  be  forwarded  six  or  eight  days  by  sow- 
ing in  pieces  of  sod  under  sashes,  as  recommended  for 
Cucumbers. 

Cucumbers, — Another  "tender"  plant,  requiring  the 
same  conditions  for  vigorous  growth  as  Sweet  Corn.  It 
may  be  sown  on  pieces  of  inverted  sod,  cut  in  sections  of 
three  or  four  inches  ;  these,  if  placed  in  frames  and  cov- 
ered with  the  protecting  cloth,  or  better  still  for  this 
purpose,  glass  sashes,  may  be  started  two  weeks  sooner 
than  they  can  be  sown  outside.  In  about  a  month  after 
sowing  (if  not  begun  before  the  temperature  would  aver- 
age fifty-five  degrees  at  night),  they  will  have  grown  two 
or  three  inches  and  have  matted  the  pieces  of  sod  full  of 
roots  ;  the  temperature  now  should  be  ten  degrees  higher, 
and  they  may  then  be  set  in  the  open  field  and  will  give 
a  crop  at  least  a  week  earlier,  which  will  well  repay  the 
extra  labor. 

Egff  Plant, — The  same  rules  may  be  applied  to  this, 
remembering,  however,  that  this  is  an  extra  "tender" 
plant,  and  at  least  five  degrees  higher  will  be  necessary. 


314  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

Greens,  German  or  Sprouts. — Same  as  Spinach,  which 
see. 

Lettuce* — The  same  rules  as  for  Cabbage  and  Cauli- 
flower will  apply  nearly  as  well  to  Lettuces. 

Melon,  Musk  and  Water, — Same  as  for  Cucumbers. 

Okra,  or  Gumbo.— Another  "  tender  "  vegetable  ;  date 
of  sowing  the  same  as  for  Beans. 

Onion, — One  of  the  hardiest  of  vegetables,  and,  whether 
grown  from  seeds  or  from  sets  for  early  crop,  should  be 
sown  in  the  fall,  about  the  dates  advised  for  Asparagus, 
though  if  wanted  for  a  later  spring  crop,  or  for  drying, 
may  be  sown  in  spring,  at  the  date  advised  for  Beets. 

Peas. — Again  taking  the  latitude  of  South  Carolina  or 
Southern  Georgia  as  a  basis,  the  Marrowfat  varieties  of 
Peas  may  be  begun  to  be  sown  about  the  end  of  Novem- 
ber, following  with  the  early  kinds  for  succession  crops 
every  week  or  ten  days  to  January  1st. 

Potato, — (Solatium  tuberosum.)  We  give  the  botanical 
name  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Sweet  Potato ;  though 
indigenous  to  high  Southern  latitudes,  it  is  impatient  of 
heat,  and  should  be  planted  as  early  in  the  various  South- 
ern States  as  the  ground  is  in  condition  to  work  ;  in 
parts  of  Florida  as  early  as  January  1st,  while  February 
1st  will  be  proper  at  Charleston  or  Savannah,  and  nearly 
a  month  later  in  Southern  Virginia. 

Potato,  Sweet, — (Ipomcea  batatas.}  This  is  mainly  a 
crop  of  the  Southern  States.  The  roots  are  usually 
started  in  Florida  or  South  Carolina  about  February  1st, 
in  cold  frames  covered  with  glass,  or  in  warm  borders  in 
the  open  air.  The  "sets"  or  "draws"  will  usually  be 
large  enough  to  be  set  out  the  first  week  in  March  in 
Florida  or  first  of  April  in  South  Carolina,  and  corres- 
pondingly later  as  we  move  northward. 

Radish . — Same  dates  as  for  beets. 


WHEN   TO   SOW   AT   THE   SOUTH.  315 

Rhubarb. — Same  date  as  for  Asparagus. 

Turnips. — For  fall  sowing,  the  Sweet  or  Strap-leaved 
kinds  of  Turnip  should  be  sown  from  September  to  Octo- 
ber, while  the  Kuta  Bagas,  requiring  a  longer  time  to 
mature,  should  be  sown  a  month  earlier.  For  "  spring 
sowing,"  January  to  February  for  the  extreme  Southern 
States. 

Spinach. — A  hardy  vegetable,  and  a  valuable  crop  in 
many  sections  of  the  South.  May  be  sown  from  Septem- 
ber to  October  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  from  November 
to  December  at  Charleston  or  Savannah  ;  but  as  it  is  slow 
to  germinate  in  dry  weather,  see  what  is  said  in  relation 
to  it  at  page  101,  under  the  head  of  the  "  Use  of  the 
Feet  in  Sowing  and  Planting."  At  the  extreme  South 
Spinach  is  not  much  grown,  as  it  does  better  in  such 
latitudes  as  Virginia  or  Delaware. 

Squash. — Same  as  for  Cucumber. 

Tomato. — A  most  important  vegetable  grown  at  the 
South  for  the  Northern  markets.  It  is  usually  set  out 
by  first  raising  the  plants  under  glass,  often  in  hot-beds, 
when  great  earliness  is  desired.  The  reader  is  referred 
to  "  Construction  of  Hot-beds,"  which  will  be  necessary 
in  most  sections  for  the  first  sowing  for  the  seedling 
plants.  An  ordinary  three  by  six  feet  sash  will  raise 
from  1,500  to  2,000  seedling  plants.  *  These  if  sown,  say, 
February  1st,  will  be  large  enough  to  transplant  at  three 
or  four  inches  apart,  again  under  the  protection  of  sashes 
or  of  "  sashes  "  of  the  protecting  cloth,  until  fit  to  set 
out  in  the  open  field.  As  it  is  also  a  most  tender  plant, 
easily  hurt  by  chill,  the  same  rules  apply  here  as  for 
Cucumbers. 


31G  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

CHAPTER     XVII. 
PACKING  OF  VEGETABLES  FOR  SHIPPING. 

This  is  a  matter  for  which  it  is  not  very  easy  to  give 
directions,  as  the  distance,  season,  and  articles  to  be 
packed  will  greatly  determine  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
to  be  done  ;  but  a  few  general  directions  may  assist  the 
inexperienced. 

The  mode  of  packing  during  spring  and  summer  is 
almost  entirely  the  reverse  of  that  practised  during 
autumn  or  winter,  for  the  reason  that,  when  the  temper- 
ature is  high,  provision  must  be  made  in  the  package  for 
the  admission  of  air  to  prevent  the  articles  from  heating  ; 
while  in  cold  weather,  when  there  is  but  little  danger 
from  heating,  but  more  to  be  apprehended  from  frost, 
close  packages  must  be  used  accordingly. 

As  early  vegetables  are  always  shipped  from  a  warm 
climate  to  a  colder  one,  at  a  season  which,  of  course, 
must  be  warm  to  mature  them,  open  work  baskets  or 
slatted  boxes  must  be  used.  If  barrels  are  used,  care 
must  be  taken  that  openings  be  made  plentifully  in  the 
sides,  so  that  air  may  be  admitted.  For  distances  requir- 
ing a  delay  of  more  than  forty-eight  hours  in  the  transit, 
for  most  articles,  barrels  are  too  large  ;  boxes  or  baskets, 
one-third  the  capacity  of  a  flour  barrel  (one  bushel), 
being  safer.  The  articles  shipped  in  this  manner  from 
Southern  ports  to  Northern  markets,  are  :  Asparagus, 
Beans,  Cucumbers,  Lettuce,  Melons,  Peas,  Radishes, 
Tomatoes,  and  other  summer  crops.  Bulky  articles, 
such  as  Cabbages,  Beets,  Sweet  Corn,  Water  Melons, 
Turnips,  are  often  shipped  loose  on  the  decks  of  steamers, 
sloops,  etc.  ;  but  even  then  care  must  be  taken  that  the 
heaps  are  not  too  large,  else  they  may  be  injured  by  heat- 
ing. The  judgment  of  the  shipper  must  be  exercised  in 
respect  to  the  article  to  be  shipped.  Articles  that  lie 


PRESERVATION   OF   VEGETABLES   IX   WINTER.       317 

close  will  require  to  be  shipped  in  smaller  packages  than 
those  that  lie  so  loosely  that  the  air  can  pass  among 
them ;  for  example,  Melons  may  be  safely  packed  in  a 
barrel,  while  if  Tomatoes  were  so  packed,  they  would  be 
utterly  destroyed. 

The  winter  or  fall  shipping  of  vegetables  is  the  reverse 
of  the  summer,  for  then  we  send  from  the  North  to  the 
South,  our  colder  and  damper  atmosphere  being  more 
congenial  to  the  growth  of  late  crops.  Close  packages 
are  now  used,  but  still  not  too  large  ;  barrels  being  best 
suited  to  such  articles  as  Beets,  Carrots,  Celery,  Onions, 
Parsnips,  Potatoes,  or  Turnips,  while  Cabbages  and 
Cauliflowers  may  be  shipped  in  crates  or  in  bulk. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
PRESERVATION  OF  VEGETABLES  IN  WINTER. 

Our  manner  of  preserving  vegetable  roots  in  winter  is, 
I  think,  peculiar  to  this  district,  and  is  very  simple  and 
effective. 

After  taking  up  such  crops  as  Beets,  Carrots,  Horse- 
radish, Parsnips,  Turnips,  Potatoes,  etc.,  in  fall,  they  are 
put  in  temporary  oblong  heaps,  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground  on  which  they  have  been  growing,  and  covered 
up  with  five  or  six  inches  of  soil,  which  will  keep  off  such 
slight  frosts  as  are  likely  to  occur,  until  time  can  be  spared 
to  store  them  in  permanent  winter  quarters  ;  this  is  done 
in  this  section,  usually,  during  the  first  part  of  December, 
in  the  following  manner  :  A  piece  of  ground  as  dry  as 
possible  is  chosen  ;  if  not  naturally  dry,  provision  must 
be  made  to  carry  off  the  water,  lower  than  the  bottom  of 
the  pit.  The  pit  is  dug  out  from  three  to  four  feet  deep, 
about  six  feet  wide,  and  of  the  length  required ;  the  roots 


318  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

are  then  packed  in,  in  sections  of  about  two  feet  wide 
across  the  pit,  and  only  to  the  height  of  the  ground  level. 
Between  the  sections,  a  space  of  half  a  foot  is  left,  which 
is  filled  up  with  the  soil  level  to  the  top ;  this  leaves  the 
pit  filled  up  in  sections  of  two  feet  long,  with  roots,  and 
half  a  foot  of  soil,  and  so  on,  until  the  whole  is  finished. 
The  advantage  of  this  plan  is,  that  it  is  merely  a  series  of 
small  pits,  holding  from  three  to  five  barrels  of  roots, 
which  can  be  taken  out  for  market  without  exposing  the 
next  section,  as  it  is  closed  off  by  the  six  inches  of  soil 
between.  Also,  we  find  that  roots  of  all  kinds  keep  more 
safely  when  in  small  bulk  than  when  large  numbers  are 
thrown  into  one  pit  together.  In  covering,  the  top  is 
rounded  so  as  to  throw  off  the  water,  with  a  layer  of  from 
eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  of  soil.  This  way  of  preserving 
roots,  with  perhaps  the  exception  of  Potatoes,  is  much 
preferable  to  keeping  them  in  a  cellar  or  root-house,  as 
they  not  only  keep  fresher,  retaining  more  of  their  natural 
flavor  and  color,  but  far  fewer  of  them  are  lost  by  decay 
than  when  exposed  to  the  air  and  varying  temperature  of 
a  cellar.  Unmatured  heads  of  Cauliflower,  or  Broccoli, 
however,  are  best  matured  in  a  light  cellar  or  cold  frame, 
by  being  planted  in  close  together;  in  this  way,  good 
heads  may  be  had  to  January.  For  the  keeping  of  Cab- 
bages, Celery,  and  Onions,  see  instructions  in  the  chapter 
describing  their  culture.  Mr.  William  Crozier,  of  North- 
port,  L.  I.,  who  is  co-author  with  me  in  the  work  "How 
the  Farm  Pays,"  has  adopted  this  method  of  keeping 
potatoes  with  great  success.  It  is  the  method  almost 
exclusively  in  use  in  England  and  Scotland. 


INSECTS.  319 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
INSECTS. 

We  have  but  little  trouble  with  insects  in  our  highly 
cultivated  grounds  ;  what  with,  continued  moving  of  the 
soil  by  plowing  and  harrowing  every  foot,  from  three  to 
four  times  each  season,  incessant  hoeing,  and  the  digging 
up  of  the  crops,  we  give  these  pests  but  little  chance  for 
a  foot-hold.  We  are,  however,  occasionally  troubled  with 
Aphides,  the  "Green-fly,"  in  our  forcing-houses  of  Let- 
tuce. Another  kind  of  aphis,  closely  allied  to  the  green, 
assumes  a  bluish  color  when  it  attacks  the  Cabbage  crop, 
either  in  frames  or  outside.  A  complete  remedy  for 
either  pest,  in  its  early  stages,  is  tobacco  stems  steeped 
in  water  to  give  it  about  the  color  of  strong  tea,  and  ap- 
plied with  a  syringe  or  watering-pot,  or  tobacco  dust,  or, 
in  fact,  tobacco  in  any  form  that  it  can  be  applied. 
"Jumping  Jack,"  or  the  Turnip-fly,  occasions  some 
trouble  with  late  sowings  of  Cabbages,  Turnips,  and 
Radishes,  but  we  find  an  excellent  preventive  in  dust- 
ing lime  over  the  beds  as  soon  as  the  seeds  begin  to 
germinate.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  use  preven- 
tives in  the  case  of  insects,  for  if  once  they  get  a  lodg- 
ment, it  is  almost  useless  to  attempt  'their  destruction. 
The  striped  Cucumber-bug,  which,  with  us,  attacks  late 
sowings  only,  we  have  found  to  yield  readily  to  a  few  ap- 
plications of  bone  dust,  which  serves  the  double  purpose 
of  disturbing  the  insect  and  encouraging  the  growth  of 
the  crop.  But  our  most  formidable  enemy  of  the  insect 
tribe  is  that  which  attacks  the  roots  of  the  Cabbage  fam- 
ily, causing  the  destructive  disease  known  as  the  "club- 
root."  There  is  a  general  misconception  of  the  cause  of 
this  disease  ;  happily  our  peculiar  location  here  gives 
me  the  means,  I  believe,  of  thoroughly  disproving  some 


320  GARDENING   FOB   PROFIT. 

of  these  absurd  dogmas,  that  club-root  is  caused  by  "  hog 
manure,"  ' '  heavy  soil/'  "light  soil,"  etc.  I  do  not  doubt 
that  it  has  appeared  thousands  of  times  under  just  such 
conditions ;  yet,  within  three  miles  from  the  City  Hall 
of  New  York,  I  can  show  to-day,  on  the  classic  shores  of 
Communipaw,  scores  of  acres  that  have  been  just  so 
manured,  both  light  soils  and  heavy  soils,  that  have 
grown  cabbages  for  twenty  consecutive  years,  while 
the  first  appearance  of  club-root  is  yet  to  be  seen.  On 
the  other  hand,  I  can  show,  on  soils  not  more  than  a  mile 
distant  from  those  on  the  Communipaw  shore,  where  the 
ground  is  cultivated  in  the  very  best  possible  manner, 
and  where  every  variety  of  manure  has  been  tried,  and 
yet  it  is  imposssble  to  get  a  crop  of  Cauliflower  or  Cab- 
bage clear  from  club-root  for  two  years  in  succession. 
Now,  the  reason  of  the  immunity  from  the  pest  on  the 
one  variety  of  soil  and  not  on  the  other,  does  not,  to 
us,  admit  of  the  slightest  particle  of  doubt.  On  the 
shore  side,  and  for  nearly  a  mile  inland,  there  are  regular 
deposits  of  oyster  shell,  mixed  with  the  land  almost  as  we 
find  pebbles  in  a  gravelly  soil ;  our  theory  is,  that  the  in- 
sect which  occasions  the  club-root  cannot  exist  in  con- 
tact with  the  lime,  which,  of  course,  is  present  in  large 
amount  in  a  soil  containing  such  abundance  of  oyster 
shell.  Seasoning  from  this,  we  have  endeavored  to  bring 
up  soils  deficient  in  shell,  by  heavy  dressings  of  lime  ; 
this  answered,  however,  only  temporarily,  and  we  found 
it  too  expensive  to  continue  it.  The  increasing  demand 
for  manures  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  has  rendered 
them  of  late  years  scarce  and  high  in  price,  so  that  we 
were  necessitated  to  begin  the  use  of  guano  and  other 
concentrated  manures,  and  as  this  was  rather  new  with 
us  in  our  market  gardens,  we  have  had  the  pleasure  of 
some  very  interesting  experiments.  In  my  grounds  at 
Jersey  City,  where  we  have  never  been  able  to  get  two 
crops  of  Cabbages  successively  without  having  them  in- 


INSECTS.  321 

jured  by  club-root,  my  foreman  suggested  to  me  to  ex- 
periment with  a  bed  of  about  half  an  acre,  to  be  planted 
with  early  Wakefield  Cabbage.  One-half  of  this  he  pro- 
posed to  manure  at  the  rate  of  seventy-five  tons  per  acre 
with  stable  manure,  the  other  half  with  flour  of  bone,  at 
the  rate  of  2,000  pounds  per  acre  ;  this  was  accordingly 
done  in  the  usual  way,  by  sowing  the  bone  dust  on  the 
ground  after  plowing,  and  then  thoroughly  harrowing 
in.  During  the  month  of  May,  we  could  see  no  percept- 
ible difference  in  the  beds  ;  but  just  as  soon  as  our  first 
hot  days  in  June  came,  down  wilted  the  portion  that  had 
been  dressed  with'  stable  manure,  showing  a  well-defined 
line  the  whole  length  of  the  bed,  and,  on  pulling  up  the 
plants,  we  found  that  our  enemy  was  at  work,  while 
in  that  portion  that  had  been  dressed  by  the  bone  dust, 
hardly  a  wilted  plant  could  be  seen,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
the  crop  had  most  unusual  vigor.  This  experiment  has 
been  to  me  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  I  ever  tried  ;  it 
still  further  proves  that  this  destructive  insect  cannot 
exist,  to  an*  injurious  extent,  in  a  soil  impregnated  with 
lime,  and  also  proves  that  we  have  a  most  effective 
remedy  in  this  valuable  and  portable  manure.  The  ex- 
periment was,  however,  to  me  rather  a  costly  one ;  our 
past  experience  told  us  that  there  was  no  reason  to  expect 
that  the  portion  on  which  the  stable  manure  was  used 
would  not  be  attacked  by  club-root,  as  it  had  borne  a 
crop  of  Cabbage  the  previous  year,  and  nearly  twenty 
years'  working  of  that  soil  had  shown  that  this  crop 
could  never  be  grown  two  years  successively  ;  but  experi- 
ments to  be  satisfactory  must  be  done  on  a  scale  of  some 
magnitude,  and  although  I  lost  some  $200  by  the  differ- 
ence in  the  crop,  I  believe  it  to  have  been  a  profitable 
investment. 

I  have  incidentally  stated  that  the  Cabbage  crop, 
treated  in  the  usual  manner,  can  only  be  grown  every 
alternate  vear.  the  reason  of  which  we  infer  to  be  that 


322  GARDENING    FOR   PKOFIT. 

the  insect  is  harmless  to  the  plant  when  in  the  perfect 
state  the  first  season,  but  that  it  is  attracted  by  the  plant, 
deposits  its  eggs  in  the  soil,  and  that  in  the  larvae  con- 
dition, in  which  it  appears  the  second  year,  it  attacks  the 
root.  Whether  this  crude  theory  be  correct  or  not,  I 
will  not  presume  to  say,  but  if  not,  how  can  we  ac- 
count for  the  fact  of  our  being  able  to  grow  this  plant 
free  from  its  ravages  every  alternate  year,  while  if  we 
attempt  to  do  so  successively  without  the  use  of  lime  or 
bone  dust,  it  is  certain  to  be  attacked  ? 

4^11  authorities  on  gardening  to  which  I  have  had  access 
seem  to  be  unaware  of  the  fact  that  club-root  is  never 
seen  in  soils  impregnated  with  shells.  This  variety  of 
soil  is  not  common.  I  have  never  seen  it  anywhere  ex- 
cept here,  and,  as  I  have  said,  this  peculiarity  of  location, 
most  fortunately,  gives  a  certain  clue  to  the  facts,  and 
directly  points  out  the  remedy,  which,  I  think,  we  have 
found  to  be  in  the  copious  use  of  bone  dust  as  manure. 

Another  enemy  of  the  Cabbage  plant,  and  one  that  is 
sometimes  even  more  destructive  than  the  club-root,  is 
the  Cabbage  Caterpillar.  This  insect  is  comparatively  a 
new-comer,  having  been  imported  from  Europe  by  way  of 
Canada.  It  is  produced  by  the  small  white  butterfly 
that  is  seen  hovering  over  the  Cabbage  patches  in  spring. 
It  attacks  the  leaves  of  the  plant,  and  is  such  a  voracious 
feeder  that  it  will  quickly  destroy  a  whole  plantation.  I 
am  frequently  applied  to  for  a  remedy  for  this  pest  and 
others  attacking  Cabbages  ;  the  best  I  know  of  are  given 
in  the  chapters  on  "Cabbage  Culture."  Nothing  is 
more  difficult  and  unsatisfactory  than  the  attempt  to- 
defeat  the  ravages  of  insects  in  the  open  field,  and  I  have 
yet  to  know  of  any  being  continuously  successful,  unless 
perhaps,  the  application  of  Pans  Green  for  the  destruction 
of  the  Potato  Bug.  In  the  long-cultivated  gardens  of  New 
Jersey  and  Long  Island  we  do  not  suffer  much  from  the 
ravages  of  either  of  the  above  pests.  The  soil  is  so  re~ 


INSECTS.  323 

peatedly  turned  over  and  disturbed  that  I  presume  the 
maggot  is  not  left  long  enough  at  rest  to  develop  itself 
in  sufficient  numbers  to  produce  any  great  injury ;  and 
the  luxurious  growth  resulting  from  the  continued  and 
heavy  manuring,  seems  to  be  less  inviting  to  the  butterfly 
to  deposit  her  eggs  than  the  feebler  growth  of  less  fertile 
soils.  Or,  it  may  be  that  the  increase  of  English  sparrows 
is  helping  us  in  both  these  cases,  by  destroying  the  fly 
that  produces  the  maggot,  or  the  small  white  butterfly 
that  produces  the  caterpillar,  or  it  may  be  that  they  feed 
on  the  caterpillar  itself,  as  I  know  they  do  upon  the 
rose-slug.  At  all  events,  the  farmer  will  gain  by  en- 
couraging and  caring  for  the  sparrows.  A  few  years  ago 
the  street  trees  of  New  York,  Brooklyn  and  Jersey  City 
were  festooned  by  myriads  of  the  "measuring  worm  ;  *' 
now,  since  the  advent  of  the  sparrows,  they  are  scarcely 
ever  seen.  The  sparrows  will  live  in  any  section  of  the 
country  if  properly  housed  and  fed  in  winter,  and  if  such 
care  were  general  we  should  hear  fewer  complaints  of 
insect  ravages.  True,  the  birds  might  exact  wages  for 
their  services,  in  requiring  a  little  grain,  but  of  the  two 
evils,  better  submit  to  that  done  by  the  birds  than  by 
the  insects. 

I  will  relate  an  experiment  to  destroy  the  Cabbage 
Caterpillar,  which  occurred  during  this  month  in  my  im- 
mediate neighborhood.  One  of  my  neighbors  found  thnt 
the  pest  was  attacking  his  Cabbages  ;  he  came  to  me  and 
asked  what  I  thought  of  his  using  slaked  lime  to  dust 
over  them.  I  told  him  I  had  but  little  faith  in  it.  But 
he  was  resolved  to  try  it,  and  put  it  on  at  the  rate  of  four 
or  five  barrels  to  the  acre,  carefully  dusting  it  on  each 
plant,  This  was  about  the  1st  of  June.  On  the  l?th  he 
came  to  me  in  triumph,  saying  that  the  remedy  had  been 
effectual,  and  that  there  was  hardly  a  caterpillar  to  be 
seen.  Unfortunately  for  the  experiment,  but  fortu- 
nately for  truth,  another  neighbor,  whose  Cabbage  patch 


'324:  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

had  been  attacked  at  the  same  time,  but  had  received  no 
lime,  was  also  entirely  clear  of  the  caterpillar  !  The  cure 
was  traceable  to  another  cause.  We  had  had  a  deluging 
rain  that  swept  off  the  caterpillars,  and  started  the  Cab- 
bages into  luxuriant  growth  at  the  same  time.  Had  the 
insect  come  in  the  legions  it  does  in  some  places,  had 
there  been  no  rain,  and  had  the  dry,  hot  weather  con- 
tinued, the  lime  dust  would  probably  have  failed. 

Last  summer,  I  had  with  great  care  nursed  .along  in 
my  greenhouses,  for  many  weeks,  a  collection  of  rare 
varieties  of  German  Stock  Gillyflowers,  a  plant  belonging 
to  the  same  natural  order  (Cruciferae),  as  the  Cabbage. 
Upwards  of  two  thousand  plants  were  set  out  in  June, 
on  rather  poor  soil ;  by  the  middle  of  July  they  had 
made  splendid  plants,  one  foot  across,  and  just  as  they 
were  bursting  into  bloom  we  observed  the  little  white 
butterfly  moving  amongst  them,  and  knew  what  might 
be  expected  to  follow.  Lime  dust,  solutions  of  carbolic 
soap,  whale  oil  soap,  and  sundry  other  things  were  used, 
all  to  no  effect,  and  by  middle  of  August,  the  plants  were 
literally  eaten  up  by  the  caterpillar.  There  is  nothing 
more  unpleasant  than  to  tell  any  one  suffering  under  a 
calamity  that  there  is  no  effective  remedy  ;  but  it  is  in- 
finitely better  to  do  so  than  to  delude  them  with  a  false 
one.  I  have  been  a  worker  of  the  soil  since  my  boyhood, 
and  every  year's  experience  convinces  me  of  the  almost 
helplessness  of  remedies  against  insects  or  other  blight- 
ing plagues  that  attack  vegetation  in  the  open  field.  It 
is  true  that  the  amateur  gardener  may  save  his  dozen  or 
two  of  Cabbages  or  Roses  by  daily  picking  off  or  destroy- 
ing the  insects ;  but  when  it  comes  to  broad  acres,  I 
much  doubt  if  ever  any  remedy  will  be  found  to  be  prac- 
ticable, unless  in  rare  instances,  such  as  Pans  Green,  as 
as  an  antidote  against  the  Potato  Bug.  We  have  one  con- 
solation, in  knowing  that  these  pests  are  only  periodical, 
and  never  continue  so  as  to  permanently  destroy. 


CULTURE    OF    SMALL    FRUITS.  3x!5 

CHAPTER    XX. 
CULTURE  OF  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Complaint  has  been  made  that  in  the  former  editions 
of  this  work,  no  allusion  was  made  to  the  culture  of  small 
fruits,  which,  in  many  sections,  is  as  much  a  matter  of 
interest  to  the  market  gardener  as  is  the  culture  of  vege- 
tables, as,  in  many  places  the  two  have  to  be  combined 
so  as  to  supply  the  local  demand,  The  most  important 
of  all  the  small  fruits  is 

THE   STRAWBERRY. 

The  same  general  rules  for  soils,  drainage,  manuring, 
etc.,  are  generally  applicable  for  Strawberry  or  other  small 
fruit  culture  as  for  vegetable  crops.  Our  method  of 
obtaining  a  full  crop  of  Strawberries  by  "pot  layering/' 
which  we  here  give  in  detail,  we  have  practised  for  the 
past  fifteen  years  with  unvarying  success,  and  if  we  were 
growing  Strawberries  for  market,  no  matter  on  how  large 
a  scale,  we  would  follow  no  other  method.  To  obtain  a 
crop  in  June  from  the  plants  that  were  planted  out  the 
previous  August,  or  in  ten  months  from  date  of  planting, 
the  plants  must  be  such  as  are  layered  in  pots,  and  the 
sooner  they  are  planted  out  after  the  15th  of  July  the 
better,  although,  if  not  then  convenient,  they  will  pro- 
duce a  crop  the  next  season,  even  if  planted  as  late  as  the 
middle  of  September  ;  but  the  sooner  they  are  planted, 
the  larger  will  be  the  crop.  They  may  be  set  from  pot 
layers  either  in  beds  of  four  rows  each,  twelve  inches 
apart,  and  twelve  inches  between  the  plants,  leaving  two 
feet  between  the  beds  for  a  pathway  ;  or  be  set  out  in  rows 
two  feet  apart,  the  plants  in  the  rows  twelve  inches  apart ; 
and  if  the  plants  are  properly  set  out  (care  being  taken 
to  firm  the  soil  around  the  plants,  which  is  best  done  by 
pressing  the  soil  against  each  plant  with  the  foot),  not 


326  GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 

one  ID  a  thousand  of  Strawberry  plants  that  have 
been  struck  in  pots,  will  fail  to  grow.  For  the  first  three 
or  four  weeks  after  planting,  nothing  need  be  done  except 
to  hoe  the  beds,  so  that  all  weeds  are  kept  down.  Be 
careful  to  do  this  once  in  every  ten  days  ;  for  if  the  weeds 
once  get  a  start  it  will  treble  the  labor  of  keeping  the 
ground  clean.  In  about  a  month  after  planting  they 
will  begin  to  throw  out  runners,  all  of  which  must  be 
pinched  or  cut  off  as  they  appear,  so  that  by  the  end  of 
the  growing  season  (1st  of  November),  each  plant  will 
have  formed  a  complete  bush  one  foot  or  more  in  diame- 
ter, having  the  necessary  matured  "crowns"  for  next 
June's  fruit.  By  the  middle  of  December,  the  entire  beds 
of  Strawberry  plants  should  be  covered  up  with  salt 
meadow  hay  (straw,  leaves  or  anything  similar  will  do  as 
well),  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches,  entirely  cover- 
ing up  the  plants  and  soil,  so  that  nothing  is  seen  but 
the  hay.  By  April,  the  plants  so  protected  will  show  in- 
dications of  growth,  when  the  hay  over  each  plant  is 
pushed  a  little  aside,  to  assist  it  in  getting  through  the 
covering,  so  that  by  May,  the  fully  developed  plant  shows 
on  the  clean  surface  of  the  hay.  This  "mulching,"  as 
it  is  called,  is  indispensable  to  the  best  culture,  as  it  pro- 
tects the  plants  from  cold  in  winter,  keeps  the  fruit  clean, 
keeps  the  roots  cool  by  shading  them  from  the  hot  sun 
in  June,  and,  at  the  same  time,  saves  nearly  all  further 
labor  after  being  once  put  on,  as  few  weeds  can  push 
through  it.  By  this  method,  we  prefer  to  plant  new  beds 
every  year,  though,  if  desired,  the  beds  oncje  planted  may 
be  fruited  for  two  or  three  years,  as  by  the  old  plans ; 
but  the  fruit  the  first  season,  will  always  be  the  largest  in 
size,  if  not  greatest  in  quantity.  Another  advantage  of 
this  system  is  that,  where  the  space  is  limited,  there  is 
quite  time  enough  to  get  a  crop  of  Potatoes,  Peas,  Beans, 
Lettuce,  Radishes,  or,  in  fact,  any  summer  crop,  off  of  the 
ground  first,  before  planting  the  Strawberries,  thus  taking 


CULTURE   OF   SMALL   FRUITS.  327 

two  crops  from  the  ground  in  one  year,  if  desired,  and 
there  is  also  plenty  of  time  to  crop  the  ground  with  Cab- 
bage, Cauliflower,,  Celery,  or  other  fall  crop,  after  the 
crop  of  Strawberries  has  been  gathered.  The  plan  of 
getting  the  pot  layers  of  Strawberries  is  very  simple. 
Just  as  soon  as  the  fruit  is  gathered,  if  the  beds  are  well 
forked  up  between  the  rows,  the  runners,  or  young  plants, 
will  begin  to  grow,  and  in  two  weeks  will  be  fit  to  layer 
in  pots.  The  pots  (which  are  about  two  inches  in  diam- 
eter), are  filled  with  the  soil  in  which  the  Strawberries 
are  growing,  and  "plunged"  or  sunk  to  the  level  of  the 
surface  :  the  Strawberry  layer  is  then  laid  on  the  pot  at  its 
joint,  being  held  in  place  with  a  small  stone.  The  stone  not 
only  serves  to  keep  the  plant  in  its  place,  so  that  its  roots 
will  strike  into  the  pot,  but  it  also  serves  to  mark  where 
each  pot  is  ;  for,  being  sunk  to  the  level  of  the  surface, 
rains  wash  the  soil  around  the  pots,  so  that  they  could 
not  well  be  seen  unless  marked  by  the  stone.  In  ten  or 
twelve  days  after  the  Strawberry  layers  have  been  put 
down,  the  pots  will  be  filled  with  roots.  They  are  then 
cut  from  the  parent  plant,  placed  closely  together,  and 
shaded  and  watered  for  a  few  days  before  being  planted 
out. 

Strawberries  for  field  culture  are  usually  planted  from 
the  ordinary  layers,  either  in  August  and  September  in 
the  fall,  or  in  March,  April  or  May  in. the  spring.  They 
are  usually  planted  in  rows,  two  to  three  feet  apart,  and 
nine  to  twelve  inches  between  the  plants.  In  planting, 
every  plant  should  be  well  firmed,  or  great  loss  is  almost 
certain  to  ensue,  as  the  Strawberry  is  a  plant  always  dif- 
ficult to  transplant.  They  are  usually  worked  by  a  horse 
cultivator,  and  generally  two  or  three  crops  are  taken 
before  the  beds  are  plowed  under ;  but  the  first  crop 
given  (which  is  in  the  second  year  after  planting),  is 
always  the  best ;  that  is,  the  Strawberry  beds  set  out  in 
March,  April,  or  May  will  give  the  best  crop  in  June  of 


328  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

the  next  year.  The  same  care  must  be  taken  as  in  plant- 
ing the  pot  layers ;  the  ground  must  be  kept  clear  of 
weeds,  and  the  runners  pinched  or  cut  off  to  make  fruit- 
ing crowns.  By  the  usual  field  method  of  culture,  it 
will  be  seen  that  there  is  a  loss  of  one  season  in  about 
three ;  for  in  the  year  of  planting  of  course  no  fruit  is 
produced.  Our  own  practice  is  to  set  aside  enough  to 
produce  early  plants,  so  that  pot  layers  can  be  obtained 
to  set  out  by  the  15th  of  July ;  thus  a  full  crop  of  the 
finest  fruit  is  had  every  season,  and  with  less  cost,  we 
think  ;  for  the  only  labor,  after  planting,  is  to  keep  the 
ground  clean  and  pinch  off  the  runners,  from  July  to 
October,  with  the  certainty  of  getting  a  full  crop  next 
June,  or  in  less  than  a  year  from  the  time  of  planting, 
while  by  planting  by  ordinary  layers,  if  set  out  in  Au- 
gust, we  have  three  months  of  fall  culture,  and  six  or 
seven  months  of  the  next  summer's  culture,  before  a  crop 
is  produced.  Again,  if  the  crop  is  continued  to-  fruit 
the  second  or  third  year,  every  one  who  has  had  expe- 
rience with  the  nature  of  the  plant  knows  that  the  labor 
of  keeping  the  plants  free  from  weeds  is  enormous ; 
while  by  the  pot  layering  method  of  taking  a  fresh  crop 
each  year,  much  of  such  labor  is  dispensed  with. 

There  are  hardly  two  sections  of  the  country,  100  miles 
apart,  where  the  same  varieties  of  Strawberries  are  grown. 
We  can  only  offer  those  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  as  our  standard. 

The  Henderson. — (See  figure  102.)  This  new  Strawberry 
originated  with  Mr.  George  Seymour,  South  Norwalk, 
Conn.,  in  1883,  who  named  it  in  honor  of  the  author  of 
this  work.  It  is  doubtful  if  there  is  an  other  Strawberry  in 
cultivation  having  such  a  combination  of  good  qualities 
as  the  "  Henderson."  The  fruit  is  of  the  largest  size,  rich, 
glossy  crimson  in  color,  looking  as  if  varnished,  early 
and  exceedingly  productive,  but  its  excelling  merit  is  its 
exquisite  flavor  and  aroma.  Whether  for  family  or  mar- 


CULTURE   OF   SMALL   FKUITS.  329 

ket  use,  the  "  Henderson  "  is  almost  certain  to  become  a 
standard  sort,  and  its  strong  and  healthy  growth  will 


Fig.  102.— THE  HENDERSON  STRAWBERRY. 


adapt  it  to  almost  every  soil.     It  is  a  perfect-flowered 
variety,  and,  therefore,  never  fails  to  set  its  fruit. 

Crimson  Cluster,— (See  figure  103.)  On  the  10th  of 
June,  1886,  I  examined  this  Strawberry  on  the  grounds 
of  the  raiser,  Mr.  E.  W.  Durand,  and  found  3,000  plants 
that  had  been  planted  on  the  15th  of  August,  1885, 
which,  in  less  than  ten  months  from  the  date  of  planting, 
were  producing  -a  crop  that  would  average  fully  a  quart 
to  each  plant ;  3,000  quarts  from  the  3,000  plants,  or  at 
the  rate  of  over  20,000  quarts  per  acre.  The  crop  was 
so  immense,  and  the  size  of  the  berries  so  large,  that  the 
pickers  who  were  paid  two  cents  per  quart,  averaged 
twenty-five  quarts  per  hour,  or  $5.00  per  day — a  fact 
beyond  question,  and  which  could  be  attested  by  a  dozen 
affidavits.  At  the  first  picking,  every  yard  of  row 


330  GARDENING    TOR    PROFIT. 

yielded  a  quart  of  fruit.  When  to  this  extraordinary 
production  we  add  the  further  facts,  that  this  Strawberry 
is  of  the  richest  crimson  color,  borne  in  immense  clusters 
(hence  the  name),  and  that  it  is  one  of  the  earliest  as 
well  as  the  latest — as  its  great  vigor  prolongs  its  season  of 
fruiting — combined  with  its  excellent  quality,  there  is 
every  reason  to  think  that  it  is  bound  to  be  the  most 
valuable  Strawberry  ever  raised  by  Mr.  Durand. 

On  the  10th  of  July,  one  month  after  my  first  exami- 
nation, seventy  quarts  of  splendid  fruit  were  gathered 


Fig.  103.— CRIMSON  CLUSTER  STRAWBERRY. 

from  the  3,000  plants  above  referred  to,  and  furthermore, 
to  show  it  still  kept  on  fruiting,  Mr.  Durand  sent  me  a 
large  cluster  of  berries  in  all  stages  of  development  on 
the  30th  of  July ;  something  entirely  unknown  in  a 
Strawberry  that  had  already  given  an  immense  early  crop. 
Mr.  Durand  says  that  the  "  Crimson  Cluster "  is  so 
completely  a  pistillate  variety  that  the  stamens  can 
hardly  be  seen,  yet  he  says  it  may  be  planted  five  miles 
away  from  any  other  Strawberry  and  yet  never  fail  to 
produce  enormous  crops.  He  further  says  that  he  has 
grown  it  in  frames  under  glass  in  early  spring,  where  it 


CULTURE    OF    SMALL    FRUITS.  331 

could  not  possibly  be  impregnated  with  any  other  variety, 
with  the  same  results — an  abundant  crop. 

He  thinks  that  this  fact,  to  a  great  extent,  upsets  the 
very  prevalent  notion  that  perfect  stamens  and  pistils  on 
the  same  plant  are  necessary  to  produce  a  crop  of  fruit. 
Without  having  personally  giA^en  the  matter  much  atten- 
tion, I  have  long  believed,  from  general  observation,  that 
there  was  more  importance  given  to  the  necessity  for 
"perfect  flowers,"  as  they  are  called,  in  strawberries 
than  results  warranted. 


Fig.  104.— JERSEY  QUEEN   STRAWBERRY. 

Jersey  Queen, — (See  figure  104.)  This  variety  was  sold 
for  the  first  time  in  the  fall  of  1881,  and  is,  perhaps,  one 
of  the  very  best  late  Strawberries  thus  far  introduced. 
The  size  is  immense,  often  measuring  six  inches  in  cir- 
cumference. Shape,  roundish  conical ;  color,  a  beautiful 
scarlet  crimson  ;  perfectly  solid,  and  of  excellent  flavor. 
It  is  an  enormous  bearer,  many  plants  averaging  a  quart 
of  first  quality  fruit.  It  is  one  of  the  latest  Strawberries, 


332  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

the  crop  in  this  vicinity  being  in  perfection  about  the 
25th  of  June,  while  the  average  crop  of  Strawberries  is  at 
its  best  by  the  15th  of  June. 

Bidwcll* — One  of  the  earliest,  most  abundantly  pro- 
ductive, of  medium  size,  excellent  flavor,  and  light  scar- 
let in  color.  Plants  set  out  from  pot  layers  on  August 
5th,  1880,  had  fruit  ripe  June  5th,  1881,  ten  months 
from  date  of  planting.  The  plants  average  one  quart  of 
fruit  each. 


Fig.  105.— SHAEPLESS  STRAWBERRY. 

Sharpless. — (See  figure  105.)  With  the  exception  of 
Jersey  Queen  and  "Crimson  Cluster/'  the  largest  and 
one  of  the  heaviest  berries  of  this  collection.  It  is  of  fine 
flavor,  a  good  bearer,  and  has  now  become  a  standard  sort. 

Downing. — One  of  the  best  of  the  older  sorts.    It  com- 


CULTURE   OF   SMALL   FRUITS.  333 

bines  all  the  best  qualities,  being  large,  early,  rich  in 
color  and  flavor,  and  abundantly  productive. 

Parry. — One  of  the  earliest  large  berries,  of  great 
beauty,  excellent  quality,  prolific,  and  one  of  the  very 
hardiest  and  strongest  growers. 


.  108.—  -THE  JEWELL  STRAWBERRY. 


Jewell.  —  (See  figure  106.)  Anew  variety,  originated  in 
1880  ;  is  of  the  largest  size,  perfect  form,  color  bright 
red  changing  to  crimson,  of  medium  earliness  ;  enormous 
cropper,  sometimes  reaching  400  bushels  per  acre. 

The  Hoffman*.  —  This  is  now  the  most  popular  berry  for 
the  Southern  States.  It  is  of  medium  size,  average  flavor, 
but  it  is  a  most  abundant  bearer  and  strong  grower,  and, 
above  all,  has  the  requisite  solidity  or  firmness  essential 
for  distant  carriage. 

Crescent  and  Wilson  are  yet  popular  varieties,  the 
former  being  of  a  light,  the  other  a  dark,  crimson.  Both 
are  inferior  in  size  and  quality  to  any  of  the  large  varie- 
ties above  described,  but  they  are  both  early,  strong 


334  GARDENING   FOE   PROFIT. 

growing,  doing  well  on  nearly  all  soils,  and  are  often 
used  as  early  market  sorts  where  the  market  is  not  crit- 
ical as  to  quality. 

Strawberries  rarely  sell  at  less  than  an  average  of  $8 
per  100  quarts,  and  when  retailed  to  the  consumer, 
average  one-third  more.  As  about  20,000  plants  are 
grown  on  an  acre,  and  an  average  crop  under  good  cul- 
ture will  give  at  least  5,000  quarts  per  acre,  the  crop, 
when  sold  even  at  lowest  rates,  is  a  fairly  profitable  one. 
But  it  is  a  crop  that  must  be  promptly  attended  to  in 
hoeing  and  weeding.  It  never  can  be  made  profitable 
under  slipshod  culture,  for,  from  the  nature  of  the  plant, 
it  cannot  defend  itself  against  weeds,  and  if  neglected 
will  quickly  get  overwhelmed  and  destroyed.  Thousands 
of  acres  of  Strawberries  are  planted  annually,  which, 
from  the  want  of  prompt  work  at  the  proper  time,  are . 
allowed  to  be  destroyed  by  weeds.  At  a  small  cost  in 
labor,  at  the  proper  time,  such  crops  might  have  paid  a 
handsome  profit. 

BLACKBERRIES. 

Although  Blackberries  are  found  in  a  wild  state  in  al- 
most all  sections  of  the  country,  yet  the  varieties  are  so 
much  inferior  to  the  cultivated  kinds,  that  it  is  poor 
economy  to  depend  on  them  for  a  supply,  no  matter 
how  abundant  they  may  be.  Cultivated  Blackberries 
comprise  varieties  which  are  not  only  double  the  size  of 
the  wild  kinds,  but  have  the  advantage  of  ripening  in 
succession  throughout  the  season,  from  the  middle  of 
July  until  the  last  of  September.  The  distance  apart  to 
plant  Blackberries  may  be,  it  in  rows,  five  feet,  with  the 
plants  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows  ;  or,  if  in  separate 
hills,  they  may  be  set  five  feet  apart  each  way.  In  either 
case  they  should  be  supported  by  strong  stakes  driven 
into  the  ground,  having  a  height  of  from  four  to  five  feet, 


CULTURE  OF  SMALL  FRUITS.  335 

to  which  the  canes  or  shoots  should  be  tied.  They  may 
be  set  either  in  the  fall  or  in  the  spring.  If  in  the  fall, 
a  covering  of  four  or  five  inches  of  rotted  manure,  leaves 
or  soil  (if  covered  with  soil  it  is  best  to  cut  down 
the  plants  to  four  or  five  inches  and  cover  up  the  whole), 
should  be  spread  over  the  roots,  to  prevent  them 
from  being  frozen  too  much.  The  plants  of 
Blackberries  set  out  either  in  fall  or  spring  will  not 
give  fruit  the  first  season,  but,  if  a  good  growth  has 
been  made,  they  will  give  a  full  crop  the  next  year. 


Fig.  107.— WILSON  BLACKBERRY.      Fig.  108.— KITTAT1NNY  BLACKBERRY. 

That  is,  if  planted,  for  instance,  about  the  middle  of 
April,  1886  (or  the  previous  fall),  by  the  middle  of  July 
in  1867,  a  full  crop  should  be  obtained.  After  the  fruit 
has  been  picked  the  old  canes  or  shoots  should  be  cut 
out  to  give  the  new  ones  a  chance  to  grow,  about  four  or 
five  of  which  only  should  be  left.  As  the  new  shoots  are 
very  vigorous,  when  they  reach  a  height  of  four  feet  or 
at  most  five  feet,  they  should  be  checked  by  pinching  off 
the  tops.  This  will  cause  an  abundance  of  side  shoots  to 
start,  which  are  to  be  pinched  when  about  a  foot  long. 
This  treatment  increases  the  productiveness  of  the  plants 
and  keeps  the  fruit  within  easy  reach  for  gathering. 
The  bushes  should  be  carefully  tied  to  the  stakes.  Of 


336  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

the  varieties,  that  known  as  Wilson's  Early  comes  in  a 
week  before  any  of  the  others.  It  is  a  deep  black,  large, 
and  of  excellent  quality,  being  destitute  of  that  hard 
centre  so  peculiar  to  most  wild  sorts.  The  Kittatinny 
comes  next  in  succession.  It  is  an  immensely  large 
berry  of  fine  flavor,  of  a  deep  shining  black  color — one  of 
the  very  best.  It  is  somewhat  given  to  rust,  which  may 
be  checked  by  removing  all  the  rusted  young  shoots  as 
they  appear.  The  next  is  the  old  Lawton  variety,  which 
is  hardly  as  good  as  either  of  the  others,  but  has  the 
merit  of  coming  in  after  they  are  nearly  done  fruiting. 
There  are  a  number  of  other  kinds  of  Blackberries  offered, 
but  the  varieties-  above  named  are  as  yet  standard  sorts 
in  most  sections  of  the  country.  Any  one  growing  Straw- 
berries to  .supply  a  local  demand,  must  of  necessity,  have 
such  fruits  as  Blackberries  to  succeed  them  as  the  season 
advances,  and  in  most  localities  they  will  be  found 
equally  profitable  with  Strawberries,  although,  perhaps, 
for  local  demand,  they  could  not  be  sold  in  as  large 
quantities. 

RASPBERRIES. 

The  culture  of  the  Raspberry  is  almost  identical  with 
that  of  the  Blackberry,  except  that  they  may  be  planted 
one-third  closer,  and  that  in  some  sections,  the  Raspberry 
is  not  quite  so  hardy,  and  it  is  better  to  take  the  precau- 
tion of  laying  the  shoots  down  close  to  the  ground  in  the 
fall,  being  careful  not  to  break  them,  and  cover  them 
up  with  corn  stalks,  straw,  leaves  or  litter.  This  should 
not  be  done,  however,  until  the  weather  is  quite  cold, 
say,  in  the  latitude  of  New  York,  the  first  week  in  De- 
cember. The  covering  may  be  from  three  to  six  inches 
thick,  and  should  not  be  removed  in  the  spring  until  the 
middle  of  April,  as,  if  removed  too  soon,  the  shoots, 
which  would  then  be  beginning  to  start,  might  be  hurt 


CULTURE   OF   SMALL   FRUITS. 


337 


by  the  late  spring  frosts.  Raspberries  are  of  three  colors 
— red,  black  and  yellow.  Of  the  red,  Cuthbert,  Hansell 
and  Hudson  River  Antwerp  are  the  favorites.  Of  the 
black  varieties,  the  Gregg  is  of  the  largest  size,  an  enor- 


mous producer,  of  excellent  flavor,  and  should,  perhaps, 
be  grown  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others  of  the  "Black 
Caps."  A  yellow  variety,  known  as  "Caroline,"  is  of 
rich  orange  color,  entirely  hardy,  and  of  excellent  flavor. 
Another  yellow  kind,  known  as  "Brinkle's  Orange,"  is 


338 


GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 


!Fig.  110.— THE  GREGG  RASPBERRY. 

of  the  most  delicious  flavor,  but  it  is  not  hardy  unless  in 
well  sheltered  spots. 


Fig.  111.  — THE   HANSELL  RASPBERRY. 


CULTURE   OF   SMALL   FRUITS.  339 


CURRANTS. 

The  Currant'  is  but  little  used  except  for  j  ies  and  for 
preserving  purposes.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  other  small 
fruit  that  will  give  more  weight  of  crop  for  the  space  it 
occupies  than  the  Currant.  However,  as  it  is  only  used 
for  these  special  purposes,  and  is  but  very  little  eaten  at 
dessert,  in  an  uncooked  state,  comparatively  few  are  re- 
quired. The  plants  should  be  set  out  in  the  garden  in 
rows  about  four  feet  apart,  and  three  feet  between  the 
plants ;  for  market  purposes,  these  distances  may  be  in- 
creased one-half.  The  young  shoots  require  to  be  pruned 
in  the  fall,  cutting  off  about  one-third  of  their  growth, 
and  thinning  out  the  old  shoots  when  they  become  too 
thick.  They  are  all  trained  in  bush  form,  to  a  height  of 
three  or  four  feet.  The  best  red  varieties  grown  are 
known  as  the  Fay,  Red  Dutch  and  the  Cherry.  Of  the 
white  kinds,  that  known  as  the  White  Dutch  is  the  best. 
It  is  of  a  yellowish-white  color.  This  variety  is  sweeter 
than  the  reds,  and  for  that  reason  is  better  for  dessert 
purposes.  Black  Currants  are  but  little  grown,  and  then 
exclusively  for  jams  and  jellies.  They  should  be  culti- 
vated in  the  same  way  as  the  whites  and  reds,  although 
they  are  an  entirely  different  plant,  belonging  to  a  differ- 
ent species. 

GOOSEBERRIES. 

The  Gooseberry  is  but  little  grown  in  this  climate,  as 
our  summer  is  entirely  too  hot  for  it,  and  it  is  rarely 
seen  in  good  condition,  as  it  ripens  just  in  the  heat  of 
summer,  when  the  weather  is  the  hottest,  thus  forcing 
it  unnaturally  to  maturity,  so  that  the  fine  flavor  ob- 
tained in  milder  climates,  such  as  Great  Britain,  is  never 
found  here.  For  that  reason  it  is  not  much  grown,  ex- 
cept to  be  used  in  a  green  state  for  pies  or  tarts,  and  is 


340  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

in  but  little  demand.  Many  of  the  English  varieties  are 
offered  for  sale  here,  but  they  are  so  subject  to  mildew, 
that  they  rarely  do  any  good.  Of  the  native  varieties, 
that  known  as  the  Downing  is  of  a  greenish-white  color 
when  ripe,  and  of  very  fair  quality.  We  have  also  a  red 


Fig.  112. — HOUGHTON'S  SEEDLING  GOOSEBEBRY. 


native  seedling  known  as  Houghton's,  which  is  of  aver- 
age size  and  flavor.  The  culture  is  same  as  that  of  the 
currant. 

GRAPES. 

Although  grape-vines  can  be  grown  in  almost  any  soil, 
yet  if  a  position  can  be  obtained  on  a  sloping  bank,  fac- 
ing south  or  southeast,  running  at  a  slope  of  ten  or 
fifteen  degrees,  where  the  soil  is  stony  or  shaly,  they  will 
usually  be  found  to  do  better  than-  when  planted  on  level 
lands,  particularly  if  they  can  be  manured.  All  the 
finest  vineyards  in  Oermany  and  France  are  so  located, 
and  the  fruit  is  always  better  flavored  and  freer  from 
mildew  and  other  diseases  than  when  on  the  level.  How- 
ever, such  conditions  are  not  always  to  be  obtained,  and 
the  vines,  of  course,  are  not  so  easily  worked  as  when 
planted  on  the  level.  There  is  now  so  much  advance 


CULTURE   OF   SMALL   FRUITS. 


341 


342  GARDENING   FOR   PKOFIT. 

made  in  our  hardy  varieties  of  native  Grapes,  that  those 
who  have  not  had  opportunities  of  seeing  them  will  be 
surprised  to  find  the  vast  improvement  that  has  been 
made  in  this  delicious  fruit  within  the  last  ten  or  fifteen 
years.  We  have  now  Grapes  of  -the  finest  flavor,  of  all 
colors,  ranging  through  all  the  shades  of  green,  amber, 
red  and  black,  ripening  in  succession  from  the  middle  of 
August  until  the  middle  of  October.  Immense  areas 
are  now  being  planted  with  the  kinds  that  have  proved 
most  profitable  for  market  purposes,  and  as  they  can  be 
safely  shipped  to  almost  any  distance,  there  is  no  need  of 
being  dependent  upon  a  local  market.  There  is  much 
misconception  as  to  the  age  at  which  a  grape-vine  should 
be  planted.  It  is  the  general  impression  that  they  should 
always  be  three  or  four  years  old.  This  is  a  popular 
error,  for  no  matter  how  large  a  grape-vine  may  be,  it 
will  never  fruit  to  any  extent  the  same  season  it  is  planted, 
and  the  larger  it  is  the  more  it  will  sulTer  in  being  lifted 
and  transplanted.  Therefore,  I  always  recommend  pur- 
chasers to  buy  young  plants,  which  not  only  can  be 
bought  at  one-third  the  price  of  two  or  three  year  old 
ones,  but  are  usually  better,  even  at  the  same  price.  If  a 
trellis  is  made  for  them,  they  should  be  planted  at  a  dis- 
tance of  six  feet  apart.  The  trellis  may  be  any  height 
from  six  to  twenty  feet,  as  desired.  If  planted  in  vine- 
yard style  in  the  open  field,  without  trellises,  they  may 
be  set  six  feet  between  the  rows  and  three  or  four  feet 
between  the  plants,  and  tied  up  to  strong  stakes. 

The  first  year  after  planting,  if  with  vineyard  culture, 
they  should  be  cut  down,  and  only  one  shoot  left  to  reach 
to  the  top  of  the  five  or  six  foot  stake.  If  it  has  grown 
strongly  and  ripened  well,  that  shoot  will  give  a  few 
bunches  the  second  year  and  may  be  pruned  close,  so  as 
to  resemble  a  walking  stick,  but  with  the  lateral  shoots 
cut  back  to  one  eye  only — that  is,  the  main  shoot  is 
allowed  to  stand,  and  the  side  shoots  or  laterals  are 


CULTURE   OF   SMALL   FRUITS.  343 

trimmed  to  one  bad  or  eye.  This  is  what  is  called  the 
Spur  System,  and  will  be  found  to  be  the  most  conve- 
nient for  the  inexperienced  cultivator.  There  are  special 
modes  of  pruning,  which  are  best  shown  by  illustration, 
and  those  who  require  fuller  information  on  this  sub- 
ject, I  will  refer  to  my  work, ."  Gardening  for  Pleasure," 
where  the  subject  of  pruning  is  fully  treated.  The  eight 
kinds  which  we  would  recommend  for  general  culture  are 
the  following  : 

Moore's  Early. — This  variety  has  large  and  compact 
bunches ;  berries  large,  black,  and  covered  with  a  rich 
bloom  ;  excellent  flavor,  and  is  one  of  the  earliest,  ripen- 
ing about  the  1st  of  September,  or  a  week  before  Concord. 

Champion, — Another  excellent  black;  medium  early. 

Niagara, — Is  of  greenish  white  color,  sometimes  tinted 
with  rose  ;  of  medium  size  for  a  white  grape,  flavor  almost 
equal  to  the  best  hot-house  grapes  ;  is  immensely  produc- 
tive, and  sold  in  the  New  York  markets  last  year  for 
twenty-five  cents  per  pound,  while  Concord  and  other 
older  varieties  sold  at  six  cents  per  pound ;  ripens  the 
middle  of  September. 

Martha. — Another  white  ;  not  so  good  in  quality,  but 
a  strong  grower,  which  might  suit  in  places  where 
Niagara  would  fail. 

Wilder, — Has  berries  of  medium  size ;  color  reddish 
bronze ;  berry  of  exquisite  flavor,  ripening  middle  of 
September. 

Salem.. — Has  large  bunches  ;  color,  white,  tinted  with 
pink;  of  medium  size;  delicate  flavor;  ripening  about 
1st  of  October.  A  grand  variety. 

Brighton* — Color  reddish  bronze,  bunch  and  berries  of 
average  size,  flavor  excellent ;  a  most  abundant  bearer, 
and  one  of  the  very  best.  Kipens  about  the  1st  of  Oc- 
tober. 


344 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


Concord,  the  last  we  name,  is  one  of  the  best  known 
of  all  the  sorts.  It  is  much  inferior  in  flavor,  but  it  has 
the  valuable  quality  of  seldom  failing  to  bear  abundant 
crops,  and  is  indispensable  in  any  collection,  and  if  but 
one  grape  is  grown,  this  should  be  chosen. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 
IMPLEMENTS. 

The  tools  or  implements  actually  required  for  the 
market  garden  are  comparatively  few.  The  most  im- 
portant implements  in  use  in  the  vegetable  garden  are 
plow  and  harrow,  which  should  always  be  used  to  the 


Fig.  114.—  ROLAND  CHILLED  PLOW. 

exclusion  of  the  spade  or  digging  fork,  whenever  it  is 
practicable  to  do  so.  No  digging  in  the  ordinary  way 
can  pulverize  the  soil  so  thoroughly  as  can  be  done  by 
the  plow  and  harrow,  nor  does  trenching  by  the  spade, 
much  surpass  in  its  results,  that  done  by  thorough  sub- 
soiling. 

Figure  114  represents  a  plow  now  largely  used  by  mar- 
ket gardeners  and  known  as  the  Roland  Chilled  Plow. 
So  superior  are  its  pulverizing  powers  to  those  of  the 


IMPLEMENTS.  345 

spade  that  we  know  of  no  market  gardener  who  would 
allow  his  ground  to  be  dug,  even  if  it  were  done  free  of 
cost. 

To  avoid  the  frequent  change  of  shares,  and  the  extra 
cost  of  replacing  them,  a  reversible, 
self-sharpening  slip  point  (see  figure 
115),  is  now  made.  When  the  bottom 
of  this  point  is  worn, .  and  the  plow 
tends  to  run  out  of  the  ground  by  rea- 
son of  the  rounded  point,  the  slip  point 
Fig.  us.— SLIP  SHARE.  is  taken  out  and  reversed,  and  thus 
doubles  the  length  of  its  useful  life. 

Miner's  Gold  Medal  Subsoil  Plow  (figure  110),  is  the 
best  subsoil  plow  we  know  of.  It  involves  new  princi- 
ples, and  accomplishes  the  work  of  stirring,  loosening 
and  draining  the  soil  beneath  the  furrow  of  the  common 


Fig.  116.— MINER'S  SUBSOIL -PLOW. 

plow,  lifting  and  breaking  (but  not  turning)  the  sub- 
soil to  the  depth  of  fifteen  to  twenty  inches,  as  may  be 
desired.  On  very  stiff  soils,  we  use  the  subsoiler  once  in 
two  years  ;  in  lighter  soils  not  so  often  ;  although  if 
time  would  always  permit,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  it 
would  be  beneficial  to  use  it  whenever  plowing  is  done. 

The  Garden  Harrow  (figure  117)  we  find  is  well 
suited  for  garden  work.  It  contains  some  forty  teeth 
about  ten  inches  long.  These  are  driven  through  the 


346 


GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 


wood-work,  leaving  five  or  six  inches  of  the  sharpened 
end  on  the  one  side,  and  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches  of 
the  blunt  end  on  the  other,  as  shown  in  figure  117.  After 


Fig.   117.— GARDEN  HARROW. 

the  ground  has  been  thoroughly  pulverized  by  the  teeth 
of  the  harrow  it  is  turned  upside  down  and  "backed," 


Fig.  118.— DIGGING   FORK.  Fig.  119.— AMES'  FIRST  QUALITY. 

as  we  term  it,  the  short  blunt  teeth  further  breaking  up 
the  soil,  and  smoothing  it  to  a  proper  condition  to  receive 
the  seeds  or  plants. 


IMPLEMENTS. 


347 


But  there  are  many  spots  in  the  garden  that  it  is  im- 
practicable to  plow,  such  as  our  frames,  borders,  and 
occasionally  between  rows  where  the  space  is  too  narrow 
for  a  horse  to  walk.  Such  places  must  be  dug,  and  here 
we  use  the  Digging  Fork,  represented  by  figure  118,  in 


'.  120.— SKELETON  PLOWo 


preference  to  the  spade.  Its  prongs  enter  the  soil  more 
easily  than  the  blade  of  the  spade,  and  by  striking  the 
turned  over  soil  with  the  back  of  the  fork,  it  pulverizes 
it  better  than  can  be  done  by  the  blade  of  the  spade. 
Still  there  are  many  operations  in  the  garden,  such  as 
the  digging  up  of  roots,  earthing  up  of  Celery,  etc. ,  for 
which  the  spade  is  indispensable.  For  such  purposes  the 


Fig1.  121. -TRIANGULAR  ADJUSTABLE  HARROW. 

one  represented  by  figure  119,  and  known  as  "  Ames' 
First  Quality,"  we  find  the  best. 

For  stirring  between  narrow  rows  of  Cabbage,  Celery, 
etc.,  we  use  a  small  one-horse  plow  before  using  the  cul- 
tivator. This  is  represented  by  figure  120,  and  is  known 


348 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


as  the  Skeleton  or  Cabbage  Plow.  Following  this,  is  our 
main  implement  for  cultivating  between  rows,  which  is 
simply  a  Triangular  Adjustable  Harrow,  represented  by 
figure  121.  This  implement,  we  prefer  to  any  variety  of 
cultivator  we  have  ever  used,  on  ground  where  there  are 


no  iveeds,  as  its  teeth  sink  from  three  to  four  inches  deep 
if  kept  sharpened  ;  when  extra  depth  is  wanted,  a  weight 
is  put  on  to  sink  it  deeper.  Another  excellent  implement, 
which  we  have  used  to  great  advantage  in  our  market  gar- 
dens, is  the  Acme  Harrow  (figure  122),  which  it  will  be 


IMPLEMENTS.  349 

seen  is  of  an  entirely  different  construction  from  the 
harrow  just  described.  As  a  pulverizer  or  leveler  we 
have  found  it  one  of  the  very  best  implements  we  have 
ever  used  for  these  purposes  ;  for  it  is  not  only  a  harrow, 
but,  under  certain  conditions  of  the  soil,  it  is  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  a  gang  of  small  plows ;  or,  in  other  words, 
in  a  soft  or  light  soil  you  can  plow  the  ground  just  as 
thoroughly  for  six  feet  wide  as  you  can  do  it  with  the 
ordinary  plow  eight  inches  wide.  Although  this  imple- 
ment has  been  recommended  especially  for  farm  work, 
our  own  experience  with  it  convinces  us  that  it  is  equally 
valuable  in  the  market  garden.  Still  another  excellent 
smoothing  harrow  is  that  known  as  the  Disc,  which  con- 
sists of  some  sixty  sharp  discs,  placed  on  revolving  shafts 
so  as  to  cut  the  'soil  to  a  depth  of  three  inches  by  one 


Fig.  123. — DISC  HARROW. 

inch  in  width,  which  levels  the  ground  as  completely  as 
can  be  done  with  a  steel  rake  in  the  hands  of  an  expert 
workman.  The  use  of  this  implement  has  saved  us  an 
immense  deal  of  labor,  which  previously  was  done  by 
hand  rakes. 

In  all  hoeing  operations  by  hand,  the  Steel-Prong 
Hoe  (figure  124),  is  used  in  preference  to  the  old-fashioned 
blade  hoe  ;  yet  superior  as  this  implement  is  to  the 
blade  hoe,  it  is  not  much  more  than  twenty  years  since 
it  came  into  general  use.  A  man  can  do  fully  one- 
third  more  work  with  it,  do  it  better,  and  with  greater 
ease  than  with  the  blade  hoe.  True,  it  is  not  so  good 
for  cutting  weeds,  but  weeds  should  never  be  seen  in  a 
garden,  whether  it  be  for  pleasure  or  profit ;  it  is  short- 
sighted economy  to  delay  the  destruction  of  weeds  until 


350 


GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 


they  start  to  grow.  One  man  will  hoe  over  in  one  day 
more  ground  where  the  weeds  are  just  breaking  through 
than  six  will  do  if  they  be  allowed  to  grow  six  or  eight 
inches  in  height,  to  say  nothing  of  the  injury  done  to 
the  ground  by  feeding  the  weeds  instead  of  the.  planted 
crops.  Another  benefit  of  this  early  extirpation  of  weeds 
is,  that  taken  in  this  stage,  they,  of  course,  never  seed, 


Fig.  124. — PRONG  HOTS. 


125. — STEEL  RAKE. 


Fig.  126.— SCUFFLE  HOE. 


and  in  a  few  years  they  are  almost  entirely  destroyed, 
making  the  clearing  a  much  simpler  task  each  succeed- 
ing year. 

Another  tool,  used  in  place  of  the  hoe,  is  the  Steel  Rake 
(figure  125),  which  we  use  in  various  sizes,  from  eight 
inches  to  twenty  inches  in  width.  Nearly  all  our  first 
"hoeing "is  done  with  rakes.  That  is,  the  ground  is 
raked  over  and  leveled  in  from  two  to  three  days  after 


IMPLEMENTS.  351 

planting.  This  destroys  the  germs  of  the  weeds.  In 
from  five  to  ten  days,  according  to  the  state  of  the 
weather,  the  ground  is  again  gone  over  with  the  rakes. 
I  am  no  believer  in  deep  hoeing  on  newly  planted  or 
sown  crops  ;  it  is  only  when  plants  begin  to  grow  that 
deep  hoeing  is  beneficial. 

For  using  between  narrow  rows  of  crops  just  starting 
from  the  ground,  the  Push  or  Scuffle  Hoe  (figure  126), 
is  a  most  effective  tool.  We  use  them  from  six  to  twelve 
inches  wide.  They  require  to  be  always  about  three  in- 
ches narrower  than  the  rows  ;  thus,  in  rows  nine  inches 
apart,  we  use  the  six-inch  hoe.  Another  indispensable 
implement  is  the  Eoller  (figure  127).  It  is  of  great  im- 
portance, not  only  in  breaking  lumpy  soil,  but  in  firm- 


Fig.  127. — GARDEN  ROLLER. 

mg  it  properly  around  newly  sown  seeds  ;  besides,  the 
ground  leveled  by  the  roller  is  much  easier  hoed  than  if 
the  surface  were  uneven  or  irregular.  The  roller  we 
use  is  made  of  hard  wood,  and  is  five  or  six  feet  long 
and  nine  inches  in  diameter.  The  roller  is  bored  through 
its  whole  length,  and  through  this  hole  is  put  a  bar  of 
two-inch  round  iron.  This  bar  gives  the  necessary 
weight,  and  its  projecting  ends  afford  points  to  which  to 
attach  the  handle. 

The  Double  Marker  (home-made),  figure  128,  is  used 
to  mark  six  or  eight  lines  at  once,  as  may  be  required, 
the  spaces  between  the  teeth  being  twelve  inches  on  one 
side,  and  nine  inches  on  the  other.  Where  rows  are  re- 


352 


GARDENING    FOR   PROFIT. 


quired  only  of  these  widths,  every  row  is,  of  course, 
planted.  But  many  of  our  crops  require  wider  rows ; 
thus,  with  a  twelve-inch  marker  we  plant  our  early  Cab- 
bages at  twenty-four  inches  apart,  the  intervening  rows 
being  planted  with  Lettuce  at  the  same  time ;  or,  with 


Flo;.  128.  — DOUBLE  MARKER. 

the  narrow  side  of  the  marker,  every  row  nine  inches 
apart  is  planted  with  Onion  sets  ;  or,  in  sucli  a  crop  as 
Beets,  every  alternate  row  only  is  used,  making  the  rows 
eighteen  inches  part.  This  is  the  marker  that  has  been 


Fig.  129.— RAPP'S  ADJUSTABLE  MARKER. 

in  use  for  many  years.  Within  the  last  year,  however, 
a  new  implement,  known  as  Rapp's  Adjustable  Ground 
Marker,  has  been  offered,  and  a  large  number  of  them 
have  been  sold  to  the  best  market  gardeners  in  our  vicin- 
ity, all  of  whom,  without  exception,  say  that  it  effects  a 


IMPLEMENTS,  353 

great  saving  in  time  and  labor,  compared  with  the  old 
marker  so  long  in  use.  Rapp's  Marker  is  made  of  hard 
wood  and  iron.  By  means  of  thumb-nuts  it  is  adjustable 
in  all  its  parts,  as  its  name  implies.  The  entire  length 
of  the  hea~  is  divided  into  inches,  plainly  marked ;  thus 
the  teeth  may  be  set  to  any  desired  gauge  with  accuracy, 
while  the  depth  of  the  trenches  is  regulated  by  two  iron 
feet.  An  important  advantage  possessed  by  this  marker 
over  the  old  one  is,  that  by  raising  the  handle  slightly 
the  weight  of  the  machine  is  thrown  on  the  feet,  thus 
allowing  a  shallower  trench  to  be  dug,  and  relieving  the 
operator  of  the  necessity  of  carrying  the  machine,  as  here- 
tofore. This  Marker,  an  illustration  of  which  we  give 


Fig.  130.— MABKET   WAGON. 

in  figure  129,  can  be  obtained  from  most  of  the  seed  or 
implement  houses. 

The  Market  Wagon  (figure  130),  is  made  after  various 
patterns  in  different  sections  of  the  country.  That 
shown  in  the  engraving  is  the  kind  used  by  us,  and  is 
usually  drawn  by  one  heavy  horse.  It  is  strongly  made, 
weighing  about  1,400  pounds,  and  is  capable  of  carrying 
from  2,000  to  3,000  pounds. 

The  "Planet  Jr."  Combined  Drill,  Wheel  Hoe,  Cul- 
tivator and  Plow  is  really  a  most  excellent  and  valu- 
able implement,  combining  in  one,  three  implements, 
all  nearly  as  effective  as  any  of  them  would  be  separately. 
The  change?  are  easily  and  quickly  adjustable.  We  have 


354 


Fig.  132.—"  PLANET  JK."  DOUBLE  WHEEL  HOE,   CULTIVATOR  ATSD   PLOW 
COMBINED. 


IMPLEMENTS, 


355 


used  this  implement  for  the  past  two  years  with  great 
satisfaction  and  profit. 

Planet  Jr.  Double  Wheel  Hoe,  Cultivator  and  Plow 
is  on  the  same  principle  as  the  preceding,  nearly  ident- 
ical, except  wanting  the  Seed  Drill  Attachment. 

The  Asparagus  Knife  (figure  133),  is  a  tool  intended 
for  cutting  the  Asparagus  below  the  surface  of  the  soil, 


Fig.  133.— ASPARAGUS  KNIFE. 

the  saw  teeth  being  used  where  there  is  danger  of  injur- 
ing the  edge  of  the  knife. 

The  Asparagus  Buncher,  shown  in  figure  134,  is  the 
only  implement  of  the  kind  that  we  know  of,  and  while 
it  is  an  improvement  over  the  old  pro- 
cess  of    tying    by   hand, 
it  is  not  as  perfect  as  it- 
might  be. 

The  Garden  Line  Eeel 
(figure  135),  is  best  de- 
scribed by  our  cut.  The 
best  sizo  we  have  used  is 
one  that  will  carry  150 
feet  of  line. 

Figure  136  represents  a 
Horseradish  Grater*  and 
this  machine  is  perhaps  as  convenient  to  use  as  any  that 
can  be  found.  It  is  easily  operated  by  one  person. 
The  cylinder  is  covered  with  heavy  perforated  tin,  and 
the  roots,  first  cleaned  by  scraping,  are  held  up  against 
it  and  grated  off  in  that  way.  Such  a  grater  as  we  show 
will  grate  about  fifteen  pounds  an  hour. 

The  Dibber  (figure  137),  is  a  very  simple  but  indis- 
pensable tool.  It  is  of  importance  to  have  it  made  in 
the  manner  represented  here.  It  can  be  formed  from  a 
crooked  piece  of  any  hard  wood,  and  shod  with  a  sharp 


Fig.    134. — ASPAR- 
AGUS EUNCHEK. 


185.— 

GARDEN    LHJI5 
REEL. 


356 


GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


iron  point,  which  gives  weight  to  it,  besides  it  always 
keeps  sharp.     Dibbers  are  too  often  made  from  an  old 


.  13u.— HORSERADISH     GRATER. 

spade  or  shovel  handle,  when  they  are  awkward  and  un- 
handy affairs. 

Planting  is  an  operation  that  often  requires  the  most 
rapid  movement  to  get  the  crop  in  at  the  proper  time, 
and  the  best  appliances  in  working  are  not  to  be  disre- 
garded. With  a  Dibber  of  this  style  an  expert  planter 
with  a  boy  to  drop  the  plants,  as  we  invariably 
practise,  will  plant  from  6,000  to  10,000  per 
day,  according  to  the  kind  of  plants  or  the 
condition  of  the  ground.  I  have  on  many  oc- 
casions planted  in  one  day  three  acres  of  Celery, 
holding  about  90,000  plants  with  ten  men,  each 
cf  whom  had  a  boy  from  ten  to  fourteen  years 
of  age,  to  drop  the  plants  down  before  him. 
This  plan  of  using  boys  is  not  generally  adopted, 
but  I  have  repeatedly  proved  that,  by  thus  di-  F. 
viding  the  labor,  a  boy  and  a  man  will  do  more  DIBBER. 
planting  than  two  men  would  do  if  planting  singly,  and 
each  carrying  his  own  plants. 


IMPLEMENTS. 


357 


Another  valuable  market  garden  tool  is  the  Planet  Jr. 
Horse  Hoe  and  Cultivator.  The  frame  will  expand  to 
twenty-four  inches,  or  close  to  five  inches,  or  it  can  be 


adapted  to  almost  any  wiciU;  of  tc  w.  The  value  of  this 
tool  is  largely  due  to  the  peculiar  shape  of  the  teeth, 
which  will  be  understood  by  referring  to  the  engraving. 


358  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 


MONTHLY  CALENDAR. 


The  success  of  all  garden  operations  depends  upon 
preparatory  measures  ;  for  this  reason  the  beginner  in 
the  business  can  be  much  benefited  by  being  reminded,  as 
he  goes  along,  of  the  work  necessary  to  be  done  to  ensure 
successful  results  in  the  future.  To  do  this,  I  must,  to 
some  extent,  repeat  directions  given  in  the  body  of  the 
work,  but  as  they  will  be  presented  here  in  a  condensed 
form,  they  will  not  tax  the  time  of  the  reader.  As  in 
all  other  references  made  to  dates,  the  latitude  of  New 
York  is  taken  as  a  basis,  that  being  not  only  the  point 
from  which  our  experience  has  mostly  been  derived,  but 
also  one  that  will  best  suit  the  majority  of  readers 
throughout  the  country.  Those  whose  location  is  more 
southerly  or  northerly  must  use  their  judgment  in 
adapting  the  directions  to  suit  their  locality. 

JANUARY. — Vegetation  in  our  Northern  States  is  com- 
pletely dormant  during  this  month,  so  that,  as  far  as 
operations  in  the  soil  are  concerned,  it  might  be  a  season 
of  leisure  ;  but  the  business  of  gardening  being  one  that 
so  largely  requires  preparation,  there  is  always  plenty  to 
do.  The  ground  being  usually  frozen,  and  giving  us 
good  hauling,  it  is  always  the  month  in  which  our  ener- 
gies are  given  to  getting  manure,  muck,  lime,  etc.,  into 
convenient  places  for  spring  work.  Care  should  be 
taken  to  get  manure  in  heaps  large  enough  to  generate 
sufficient  heat  to  prevent  its  being  frozen,  so  that  it  can 
be  turned  and  broken  up  thoroughly  before  it  is  spread 
upon  the  ground.  This  work  is  often  very  slovenly  per- 


MONTHLY    CALENDAR.  359 

formed,  and  the  value  of  manure  much  reduced  by  in- 
attention to  turning  and  breaking  it  up  during  winter. 
Sometimes  it  is  injured  by  being  thinly  scattered,  so  that 
it  freezes  solid  ;  and  again,  if  thrown  into  large  heaps, 
and  left  unturned,  it  burns  by  violent  heating,  getting 
in  the  condition  which  gardeners  call  "fire  fanged." 
It  is  always  an  indication  that  the  manure  heap  needs 
turning  when  it  is  seen  to  emit  vapor,  no  matter  how 
often  it  has  been  turned  previously,  for  it  should  always 
be  borne  in  mind  that  it  quickly  loses  by  heating,  while 
it  always  gains  by  a  thorough  breaking  up  in  turning. 

January  is  usually  the  month  in  which  we  have  our 
heaviest  snow  storms,  which  often  entail  on  us  an  im- 
mense amount  of  necessary,  though  unprofitable  labor, 
not  only  in  clearing  roads,  but  also  in  clearing  off  the 
snow  from  our  cold  frames  and  forcing-pits,  for  even  at 
this  season  of  dormant  vegetation,  light  is  indispensable 
to  the  well-being  of  our  vegetable  plants ;  unless  they 
are  in  a  frozen  condition,  that  is,  if  we  have  had  a  con- 
tinuation of  zero  weather,  all  our  plants  of  Cabbage, 
Lettuce,  Cauliflower,  etc.,  are  frozen  in  the  cold  frames  ; 
if  in  this  state,  the  glass  is  covered  up  by  snow,  it  is  un- 
necessary to  remove  it,  even  for  two  or  three  weeks,  but 
if  the  weather  has  been  mild  so  that  the  plants  under  the 
sashes  have  not  been  frozen  when  covered  by  snow,  then 
the  snow  must  be  cleared  from  the  glass  as  soon  as 
practicable.  In  the  greenhouses,  hot-beds,  or  forcing- 
pits,  where  artificial  heat  is  used,  the  removal  of  the 
snow  from  the  glass  is  of  the  utmost  consequence. 

If  not  done  in  December,  the  final  covering  up  of  Cel- 
ery trenches,  root-pits,  and  all  things  requiring  protec- 
tion from  frost,  should  be  attended  to  in  the  first  week 
of  this  month. 

Should  the  ground  be  open  enough  to  allow  of  digging 
(which  occasionally  occurs  here  ever  in  January),  let 
all  roots  remaining  in  the  ground  be  dug  up  and  pitted, 


3 GO  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

as  another  chance  is  not  likely  to  occur  before  spring. 
Cold  frames  and  forcing-pits,  particularly  the  former, 
should  be  aired  whenever  the  weather  will  permit,,  for  it 
is  necessary  to  carry  them  safely  through  until  spring, 
that  they  may  be  properly  hardened.  ^See  Chapter  on 
Cold  Frames.)  Sow,  in  greenhouse  or  hot-bed,  Cabbage, 
Cauliflower  and  Lettuce.  (See  Chapter  on  "  How  to 
Kaise  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce,"  page  51.) 

FEBRUARY. — The  gardening  operations  differ  but  little 
from  those  of  January,  except  that  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  month,  as  the  days  lengthen  and  the  sun  gets  brighter, 
more  air  may  be  given  to  framing  and  forcing-pits.  Hot 
manure  should  now  be  got  forward  to  be  prepared  for 
hot-beds,  and  if  desired,  some  may  be  formed  this  month. 
(See  Chapter  on  Hot-beds.)  Have  all  tools  purchased  or 
repaired,  so  that  no  time  maybe  lost  in  the  more  valu- 
able days  of  next  month.  It  is  important  to  always  have 
spare  tools  of  the  leading  kinds,  so  that  men  may  not  be 
thrown  idle,  at  a  hurried  season,  by  the  breaking  of  a 
fork,  spade,  or  hoe.  In  harness  and  implements,  con 
nected  with  the  teams,  it  is  of  great  importance  to  have 
spare  parts  to  replace  those  liable  to  be  broken  ;  other- 
wise, half  a  day  is  frequently  lost  by  the  breaking  of  a 
whiffle-tree,  or  plow  share,  causing  more  loss  by  delay 
than  three  or  four  times  the  cost  of  the  article.  Sow,  for 
succession  crops,  Cabbage,  Cauliflowe'r  and  Lettuce  in 
greenhouse  or  hot-beds. 

MARCH  is  one  of  the  busiest  months  in  the  year  with 
us.  Hot-beds  are  made  and  planted  or  sown,  and  Let- 
tuce crops  may  be  planted  in  cold  frames  and  forcing- 
pits  (see  directions  under  these  heads).  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  month  we  often  begin,  on  dry  soils,  the  sow- 
ing or  planting  in  the  open  ground  of  such  hardy  vege- 
tables as  Horseradish,  Cabbage,  Lettuce,  Onions,  Rad- 
ishes, Turnips,  etc.,  etc.  Although  we  gain  but  little 
in  earliness  by  starting  before  April,  yet  it  forwards  our 


MONTHLY    CALENDAR.  361 

operations,  so  that  it  equalizes  labor  more  than  when 
starting  late  in  spring.  Enthusiastic  beginners  must 
avoid  the  too  common  error  of  beginning  out-door 
operations  too  soon,  when  the  soil  is  not  sufficiently  dry  ; 
for,  if  the  soil  is  dug  or  plowed  while  wet,  it  is  highly 
injurious,  not  only  destroying  the  present  crop,  but  in- 
juring the  land  for  years  after.  Sow  for  succession,  if 
wanted,  Cabbage,  Cauliflower,  or  Lettuce,  in  hot-beds, 
greenhouse,  or  cold  frames. 

New  plantations  of  Asparagus,  Rhubarb,  Sea  Kale, 
and  Artichokes  may  be  made,  and  old  beds  top-dressed 
by  digging  in  short  manure  close  around  the  plants  ;  we 
consider  it  more  economical  of  manure  to  do  this  in 
spring  than  in  fall.  (See  Asparagus.) 

Such  roots  as  Cabbage,  Carrot,  Celery,  Leek,  Lettuce, 
Onion,  Parsnip,  etc.,  planted  to  produce  seed,  may  be 
set  out  the  latter  part  of  this  month,  on  soils  that  are 
warm  and  dry,  drawing  earth  up  around  the  crowns  so 
as  to  protect  them  from  sharp  frosts  ;•  in  hoeing,  in 
April,  this  soil  is  removed. 

Where  extra  laborers  are  wanted  for  the  garden,  I  have 
always  considered  it  economy  to  secure  them  in  the 
early  part  of  March,  even  a  week  or  two  before  they  are 
really  needed,  for  if  the  hiring  of  them  is  delayed  until 
the  rush  of  work  is  upon  us,  we  often  have  to  pay  higher 
rates  for  inferior  hands,  and  have  less  time  to  initiate 
them  in  their  duties.  To  such  as  require  large  numbers 
of  hands,  and  look  to  such  ports  as  New  York  for  emi- 
grants, let  me  caution  my  friends  from  the  rural  dis- 
tricts not  to  believe  too  implicitly  in  the  promises  of 
these  prospective  American  citizens.  Much  vexatious  ex- 
perience has  taught  me  that  one  out  of  every  three  men 
is  either  worthless,  or  will  run  away,  so  that  for  many 
years  back,  if  I  wanted  four  hands,  I  made  one  job  of  it 
and  hired  six,  well  knowing  that  before  a  week  had  passed, 
my  force  would  be  reduced  to  the  required  number. 


362  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

APRIL  brings  nearly  all  the  operations  of  the  gar- 
den under  way  ;  the  planting  and  sowing  of  all  the  hardy 
varieties  of  vegetables  is  completed  this  month.  (See 
table  in  Chapter  on  Seed  Sowing).  Look  well  to  the  hot- 
beds, cold  frames,  or  forcing-pits ;  they  will  require 
abundance  of  air,  and  (where  artificial  heat  is  used), 
plenty  of  water  ;  we  have  now  bright  sunshine,  promot- 
ing rapid  vegetation  under  glass,  and  to  have  heavy 
crops,  they  must  not  be  stinted  in  water.  Hot-beds  are 
particularly  critical  in  this  month  ;  an  hour  or  two  of 
neglect,  in  giving  air,  may  quickly  scorch  the  tender 
plants  that  you  have  been  nursing  with  so  much  care  for 
a  month  previous  ;  and  a  balmy  April  day  may  terminate 
in  a  stinging  frost  at  night,  making  short  work  of  your 
hot-beds  if  they  are  not  wrell  covered  up  by  straw  mats. 

Plantations  of  Asparagus,  Rhubarb,  etc.,  if  not  made 
last  month,  should  now  be  done,  as  those  set  out  later 
than  April  will  not  make  such  a  vigorous  growth.  Suc- 
cession crops  of  Lettuce,  Beets,  Cabbage,  Onions,  Peas, 
Potatoes,  Radishes,  Spinach,  Turnips,  etc.,  may  be 
planted  or  sown  during  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  to 
succeed  those  planted  in  March  and  early  part  of  April. 

The  early  sown  crops  should  be  hoed,  and  the  ground 
stirred  close  to  the  young  plants,  so  as  to  destroy  the 
germ  of  the  weeds  now  appearing. 

MAT. — Although  the  bulk  of  the  hardy  vegetables  is 
now  planted,  yet  the  tender  varieties  are  still  to  come  ; 
they  require  more  care,  as  they  are  more  susceptible  of 
injur},  by  too  early  or  injudicious  planting,  than  the 
others.  In  the  early  part  of  the  month,  the  succession 
crops,  named  in  April,  may  be  yet  planted  so  as  to  pro- 
duce good  crops,  and  the  tender  varieties,  such  as  Bush 
Beans,  Corn,  Melon,  Okra,  Pepper,  Squash,  Tomato,  may 
be  sown  or  planted  after  the  middle  of  the  montli  ;  but 
Egg  Plants,  Sweet  Potatoes,  Lima  Beans  and  Peppers 
had  better  be  delayed  to  the  last  week  in  May  or  1st  of 


MONTHLY    CALENDAR.  363 

June.  The  first  produce  of  the  spring  plantings  will 
now  be  ready  for  use.  Lettuce  or  Radishes,  planted  in 
cold  frames  in  March,  are  matured  from  5th  to  20th 
May,  and  if  covered  up  by  straw  mats  at  night,  ten 
days  earlier.  In  warm  situations,  on  rich,  light  soils, 
the  Radishes,  Lettuce,  Turnips,  or  Peas,  planted  in 
March,  are  fit  for  market.  Rhubarb  and  Asparagus  are 
also  fit  to  be  gathered,  on  early  soils,  the  latter  part  of 
the  month. 

Additional  labor  is  now  beginning  to  be  required,  the 
marketing  of  crops  occupying  a  large  portion  of  the  time, 
while  the  thinning  out  of  sown  crops,  and  the  keeping 
down  of  weeds  which  are  now  showing  themselves 
everywhere,  entails  an  amount  of  labor  not  before  neces- 
sary. To  withhold  labor  at  this  critical  time  is  short- 
sighted economy,  whether  by  the  owner  of  a  private  or 
market  garden  ;  for  let  the  crops  planted  and  sown 
once  get  enveloped  by  weeds,  it  will  often  cost  more  in 
labor  to  clean  the  crop  than  it  will  sell  for.  It  is  not  at 
all  an  uncommon  occurrence  to  see  acres  of  Carrots  or 
Parsnips  plowed  down,  after  being  carefully  manured 
and  sown,  from  neglect  or  inability  of  the  owner  to  pro- 
cure labor  at  the  proper  time.  The  rapid  development 
of  weeds  is,  to  the  inexperienced,  very  deceptive  ;  a  crop 
of  Carrots,  Parsnips,  Beets,  or  Onions,  may  appear  to  be 
easily  manageable  at  a  given  day  in  May  ;  but  a  few  days 
of  continued  rain  occurs,  and  the  crop  that  could  have 
been  profitably  cultivated  on  the  15th  is  hopelessly  over- 
grown on  the  25th. 

JUNE  is  one  of  the  months  in  which  we  reap  the  re- 
ward of  our  operations  in  the  market  garden  ;  at  this 
time  the  bulk  of  all  the  early  crops  matures  in  the 
Northern  States.  So  far,  nearly  all  has  been  outlay  ; 
now,  we  receive  the  returns.  In  this  district  our  early 
crops  of  Asparagus,  Beets,  Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  Let- 
tuce, Onion,  Peas,  Radishes,  Rhubarb,  Spinach  and 


3(J4  GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 

Turnip  are  sold  off,  and  the  ground  plowed  for  the 
second  crop  (except  in  the  cases  of  Asparagus  and  Rhu- 
barb), by  the  end  of  the  month.  For  private  gardens 
(or  in  special  cases  for  local  markets),  succession  crops 
of  Beets,  Bush  Beans,  Cabbages,  Cucumbers,  Lettuce, 
Peas,  Radishes  and  Potatoes  may  still  be  planted,  but, 
as  a  rule,  it  would  hardly  I  profitable  for  market  pur- 
poses, as  it  would  occupy  he  jand  wanted  by  the  mar- 
ket gardener  for  his  se  -rop,  besides  the  market 
buyer  of  the  cities  will  1  :  •  touch  a  vegetable  or  fruit 
behind  its  season  at  ;  rice.  He  will  pay  ten  cents 
per  bunch  for  Ra •'...'.  m  May,  and  will  pass  by  a  far 
better  article  of  t.  .>..-ne  kind  in  July  or  August, 
though  offered  at  ont-ufth  the  price.  He  will  give  fifty 
cents  per  quart  for  Tomatoes  (half-ripe),  in  June,  that 
he  could  not  be  induced  to  touch  in  October,  if  he  could 
buy  them  at  twenty-five  cents  per  bushel. 

The  Cucumbers,  planted  in  cold  frames  and  forcing- 
pits,  are  also  marketable  in  the  latter  part  of  this  month. 
Great  care  must  be  taken  to  have  amdantly 

watered  in  dry  weather  ;  inattention  t^  "ring  (par- 
ticularly of  all  vegetables  under  glass),  is  sure  to  entail 
loss  on  the  cultivator,  by  giving  an  imperf  •  r  partial 
crop.  Watering  had  better  be  done  in  the  ev?ning, 
unless  chilly,  whenever  the  surface  appears  dry,  net 
by  a  mere  sprinkling,  but  by  a  thorough  soaking — ret 
less  than  a  gallon  to  every  square  yard  of  surface.  As 
soon  as  the  Cucumbers  are  all  cut  from  the  frames,  the 
sashes  should  be  piled  up  at  the  ends  of  each  section  and 
covered  with  a  shutter,  and  a  weight  of  some  kind  put 
on  the  top,  to  prevent  these  from  being  blown  off  by 
high  winds. 

JULY. — The  remaining  part  of  the  spring  crops  a>'e 
cleared  off  in  the  early  days  of  this  month,  and  by  the 
middle  of  it,  unless  the  season  is  unusually  dry,  all  the 
ground  is  planted  with  the  second  crops  of  Celery,  Sage, 


MONTHLY    CALENDAR.  365 

Thyme,  Late  Cabbage,  Broccoli,  Cauliflower,  or  Leeks. 
Little  is  done  to  these  crops  this  month,  as  but  little 
growth  is  made  during  the  hot,  dry  weather,  and  newly 
planted  crops  are  merely  stirred  between  the  rows  with 
the  hoe  or  cultivator.  Some  of  the  other  later  crops  are 
now  maturing  for  market.  Bush  Beans,  Cucumbers, 
Potatoes,  Squashes,  and,  in  early  places,  Tomatoes  ;  also 
succession  crops  of  Peas,  Beets,  Onions,  Cabbages,  etc., 
such  of  these  as  only  mature  during  the  end  of  the 
month,  render  the  second  crops  rather  late,  unless  for 
the  later  crops  of  Celery  and  Spinach. 

AUGUST. — Except  the  months  of  January  and  Febru- 
ary, August  is  a  month  requiring  less  labor  in  the  mar- 
ket garden  than  any  other.  Usually  all  the  planting  has 
been  done  in  July,  and  the  long  drouths,  common  at 
this  season,  stagnate  the  growth  of  even  our  most 
luxuriant  weeds,  so  that  in  this  month,  of  all  others,  the 
garden  ought  to  be  clean. 

Late  plantings  of  Celery  may  be  made  to  the  middle 
of  the  month,  and  still  give  fair-sized  roots  for  winter. 
Spinach  may  also  be  sown  for  an  early  crop,  to  be  cut 
off  in  fi.'.l.  Euta  Baga  Turnips  should  be  sown  early  in 
the  month,  and  the  white  and  yellow  varieties  during 
the  later  part.  Be  careful  now,  if  the  land  is  dry,  to 
firm  after  sowing.  (See  "Use  of  the  Feet  in  Sowing  and 
Planting.")  If  the  "fly"  attacks  them,  it  may  be  kept 
down,  so  as  to  do  but  little  harm,  by  frequent  applica- 
tions of  lime  dusted  lightly  over  the  rows.  Bush  Beans 
and  Peas  may  still  be  sown  for  late  crops.  For  Peas 
for  late  sowing,  we  found  our  "First  of  All"  variety 
the  best.  In  1886,  a  crop  sown  25th  of  August  was 
marketed  late  in  October,  and  sold  at  excellent  prices. 
The  Onion  crop  will  ripen  off  during  this  month,  and 
when  convenient  to  market,  should  be  offered  for  sale  as 
soon  as  gathered,  as  the  price  received  for  those  first  sold  is 
frequently  double  that  of  those  coming  in  ten  days  later. 


36G  GARDENING   FOR   PttOFIT. 

SEPTEMBER, — The  cool  nights  and  moist  atmosphere 
of  this  month  begin  to  tell  strikingly  on  the  crops 
planted  for  fall  use.  Celery,  Cabbage  and  Cauliflower 
now  grow  rapidly,  and  require  repeated  stirring  of  the 
soil  with  the  plow,  cultivator,  or  hoe.  Celery  that  is 
wanted  for  use  towards  the  latter  part  of  the  month  may 
now  be  "  handled  "  or  straightened  up,  and  the  earth 
drawn  to  it  by  the  hoe  ;  in  a  week  or  so  after  it  may  be 
' '  banked  up  "  by  the  spade  to  half  its  height,  allowed  to 
grow  for  another  week  or  more,  until  it  lengthens  out  a 
little  further,  when  the  banking  should  be  continued  as 
high  as  its  top.  In  ten  days  (at  this  season),  when  thus 
finished,  it  is  blanched  sufficiently  to  use,  and  should 
then  be  used,  or  it  will  soon  spoil.  Care  must  be  taken 
that  no  more  is  banked  up  than  can  be  sold  or  used,  as 
it  is  not  only  labor  lost,  but  is  decidedly  hurtful  to  the 
Celery  by  making  it  hollow.  The  practice  recommended 
by  most  authorities,  and  still  followed  by  private  gar- 
deners, is  to  keep  earthing  it  up  every  two  weeks  from 
the  time  it  begins  to  grow  ;  this  is  utter  nonsense,  re- 
sulting in  making  tough,  stringy,  and  rusty  Celery— 
utterly  unfit  to  eat,  while  the  expenditure  m  labor 
would  be  twice  more  than  the  price  it  would  usually 
bring  if  sold  ;  for  further  information  on  this  important 
subject,  see  Chapter  on  Celery.  The  seeds  of  Cauliflower, 
Cabbage  and  Lettuce  should  be  sown  this  month,  from 
the  15th  to  the  25th,  for  the  purpose  of  being  pricked 
out  in  cold  frames  to  be  wintered  over.  It  is  very  im- 
portant that  the  sowing  should  be  done  as  near  these 
dates  as  possible,  for  if  sown  much  before  the  15th  the 
plants  may  run  up  to  seed  when  planted  out  in  spring  ; 
if  much  later  than  the  25th,  they  would  be  too  weak 
to  be  wintered  over.  Shallots  and  Onions  should  also 
be  planted  this  month,  and  Spinach  and  German  Greens, 
or  "  Sprouts,"  sown  to  be  wintered  over,  all  now  for 
spring  use. 


MONTHLY    CALENDAR.  367 

OCTOBER. — This  month  corresponds  in  part  to  June  of 
the  summer  months,  being  that  in  which  the  returns 
from  the  second  crops  come  in.  Celery  that  has  been 
banked  or  earthed  up,  now  sells  freely  and  in  consider- 
able quantities.  All  the  crop  should  this  month  be 
"  handled,"  and,  as  much  as  possible,  earthed  up.  Cauli- 
flower is  usually  scarce  and  dear  in  the  early  part  of  this 
month,  but  unless  the  fall  has  been  unusually  moist,  is 
generally  not  matured  until  towards  the  end  of  the 
month.  Thyme,  Sage  and  all  Sweet  Herbs  should 
now  be  sold,  from  the  beginning  of  the  month,  cutting- 
out  only  every  alternate  row,  as  it  gives  the  crop  time  to 
grow,  so  that  the  remaining  rows  spread  sufficiently  to 
fill  the  space.  (See  article  on  Thyme,  etc.) 

The  crops  planted  or  sown  last  month  must  now  be 
carefully  hoed  and  the  weeds  removed ;  for,  though 
weeds  are  not  quite  so  numerous  in  variety  as  in  summer, 
Chickweed,  now  very  abundant,  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
pensive weeds  of  the  garden  to  eradicate. 

The  plants  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower  and  Lettuce,  re- 
commended to  be  sown  last  month,  are  now  fit  to  be 
pricked  out  in  the  cold  frames.  (See  detail  of  the 
process,  page  45.) 

NOVEMBER. — This  month  warns  us  that  winter  is  ap- 
proaching, and  preparations  should  be  carefully  made 
towards  securing  all  products  of  the  garden  that  are 
perishable  by  frost.  The  process  of  putting  away  the 
Celery  crop  in  trenches  for  winter  use  (see  Celery  article), 
should  be  begun  about  the  5th  or  10th  of  the  month  in 
dry  weather.  That  put  in  trenches  then  will  be  blanched 
sufficiently  for  use  in  six  or  eight  weeks,  but  when  suffi- 
cient help  can  be  obtained,  it  will  always  pay  well  to 
bank  or  earth  up  a  large  portion  of  Celery  by  the  spade, 
clear  to  the  top  ;  this  will  usually  keep  it  safe  from 
injury  from  any  frost  that  we  have  in  this  month,  and 
thus  protected  it  need  not  be  put  away  into  winter 


368  GARDENING   FOR   PROFIT. 

quarters — the  trenches — before  the  end  of  November. 
Put  away  thus  late,  it  will  keep  usually  without  the  loss 
of  a  root  until  March  or  April,  when  it  is  always  scarce 
and  high  in  price.  The  great  difficulty  most  persons  have 
is  from  stowing  it  away  and  covering  it  up  too  early  ; 
this  practice  of  earthing  it  up  to  the  top  roughly  in 
November  we  have  only  recently  practised,  but  find  the 
extra  labor  well  repaid,  as  we  are  enabled  thus  to  save 
this  very  valuable  crop  without  loss.  There  is  rarely 
need  of  applying  any  covering  of  leaves  or  litter  to  the 
trenches  this  month,  and  it  cannot  be  too  often  told  that 
the  covering  up  of  vegetables  of  all  kinds  in  winter 
quarters  should  be  delayed  to  the  very  last  moment  that 
it  is  safe  to  do  so.  Beets,  Carrots,  Cabbages  and  Cauli- 
flowers must  be  dug  up  and  secured  this  month  in  the 
manner  recommended  in  "  Preserving  Vegetables  in 
Winter."  Horseradish,  Salsify  and  Parsnips,  being  en- 
tirely hardy  and  frost  proof,  need  not  necessarily  be 
dug,  although  from  the  danger  of  their  being  frozen  in 
the  ground  next  month,  if  time  will  permit  the  work 
had  better  be  progressing. 

All  clear  ground  should  be  dug  or  plowed,  and  prop- 
erly leveled,  so  that  on  the  opening  of  spring  operations 
can  be  begun  with  as  little  delay  as  possible.  If  draining 
is  required  this  is  the  most  convenient  time  to  do  it,  the 
ground  being  clear  and  not  yet  much  frozen. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month  the  sashes  should  be 
put  on  the  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  in  cold  nights, 
but  on  no  account  should  they  be  kept  on  in  day-time, 
as  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  they  be  not  made 
tender  at  this  time  by  being  "  drawn"  under  the  sashes. 
I  may  again  repeat  that  these  plants  are  half  hardy,  and 
it  is  killing  them  with  kindness  to  protect  them  from 
slight  freezing.  Cabbage  and  Lettuce  plants  may  be  ex- 
posed in  any  place  without  glass  or  other  protection 
where  the  thermometer  runs  no  lower  than  ten  above 


MONTHLY   CALENDAR.  369 

zero.  Rhubarb  and  Asparagus  beds  will  be  benefited 
by  a  covering  of  four  or  six  inches  of  rough  manure,  or 
any  other  litter,  to  prevent  the  severity  of  the  frost ;  the 
crop  from  beds  thus  covered  will  come  in  a  few  days 
earlier,  and  will  be  stronger  than  if  left  unprotected. 

DECEMBER. — Occasionally  we  have  the  ground  open, 
so  that  digging  and  plowing  can  bo  done  to  nearly  the 
end  of  the  month,  but  it  is  not  safe  to  calculate  much 
after  the  first  week  ;  though  by  covering  up  the  roots, 
still  undug,  with  their  own  leaves  or  with  litter",  we  are 
often  enabled  to  dig  our  Horseradish  or  Parsnips  very 
late  in  the  month,  and,  like  all  other  vegetables,  the  later 
they  remain  in  the  soil  they  grow  in  the  finer  is  the 
quality. 

Celery  trenches  should  receive  the  first  covering  early 
in  the  month,  if  the  weather  has  bsen  such  that  it  has 
been  unnecessary  before.  The  covering  should  not  be  less 
than  four  or  five  inches  of  litter  or  leaves,  only  taking 
care  that  the  material  is  light ;  weight  or  closeness  would 
prevent  evaporation  too  much  at  this  season,  while  the 
weather  is  not  yet  severe.  The  find. covering  should  not 
be  later  than  the  end  of  the  month. 

The  crops  of  Spinach,  Kale,  Onions,  Shallots,  etc., 
that  have  been  planted  or  sown  in  September,  should  be 
covered  up  with  hay  or  straw  if  their  position  is  much 
exposed  ;  if  not,  there  is  no  particular  necessity.  When 
all  has  been  secured  safely  in  winter  quarters,  attention 
must  be  energetically  turned  to  procuring  manure,  muck, 
and  all  available  kinds  of  fertilizers.  There  is  little  dan- 
ger of  spending  too  much  in  this  way  if  you  have  it  to 
spend ;  depend  upon  it,  there  is  no  better  investment  if 
you  are  working  your  Garden  for  Profit.  Straw  and 
rope  for  straw  mat  making  should  always  be  on  hand,  so 
as  to  give  employment  to  the  hands  in  stormy  weather. 


INDEX. 


Capital  Required 17 

Climate,  Ours  Different  from 

England -  105 

Crops,  Rotation  of 110 

Cuttings,  Variation  of  .Plants 

from-.. 273 

Drainage -  28 

Drain,  Board 30 

Flat  Stone -  30 

Rubble 30 

Tile  .--. 29 

Fertilizers  (See  Manures) 88 

Application  of -  -  39 

Comparative  Value  of 39 

Preparation  of 38 

Special 41 

Forcing  Pits 63 

Frames,  Cold,  and  Hot-beds ..  44 

Airing 46 

Cucumbers  in  - . ....  48 

Frozen  Plants  in . .  49 

Lettuce  in 47 

Protecting;  Cloth  for. 50 

Seed  Sowing  in 49 

Shelter  for 45 

Snow  upon  - - . .  49 

Spring  Raising  of  Cabbage 

Plants,  Etc' '..  51 

Ground,  Preparation  of  the...  31 

"Hill,"  Meaning  of  the  Term  224 

Hot-beds 56 

EggPlantsin 58 

Frame  for 56 

Forcing  Lettuce  in 58 

Manure  for 57 

Pepper  Plants  in -. 58 

Sashes  for 56 

Straw  Mats  for 61 

Sweet  Potatoes  in 60 

Sowing  in 108 

Tomato  Plants  in 58 

"When  to  Plant  in 45 

Importance  of  Ventilation  105 
Houses,  Forcing  and   Green- 
house Buildings  and  Ap- 
purtenances    66 

Greenhouse  for  Forcing  - .  73 

John  Hudson's --  73 

Heating  of---- -.  76 

HeatecTby  Flue 70 

(370) 


Heating   by  Return 

Flue' 84 

Flues,  Danger  from  _  _^  _  _  _  70 

Flue,  How  to  Build 70,  87 

Greenhouses,  Profits  of...  69 

Pump  for.- 66 

Rotation  in  _ 67 

Soil  for 76 

Vegetable. 24 

Watering  in 66 

Sashes,  How  Fastened  65 

Sashes,  How  to  Glaze  75 

Wells  24 

IMPLEMENTS. 

Bunch er,  Asparagus. 355 

Dibble  or  Dibber 356 

Drill,  Planet  Jr.  Combined....  354 

Fork,  Digging 346 

Grater,  Horseradish 356 

Harrow,  The  Acme  -  - 348 

The  Disc 349 

Garden 346 

Triangular  Adj  ustable 347 

Hoe,  Horse,  and  Cultivator...  357 

Prong ..--  350 

Push 350 

Scuffle  .--. 350 

Single  Wheel,  Etc 358 

Knife,  Asparagus 355 

Line,  Garden,  arid  Reel 355 

Marker,  Adjustable 352 

Plow,  Cabbage 347 

Roland  Chilled 344 

Slip  Share  for 345 

Subsoil 345 

Skeleton   347 

Rake,  Steel 350 

Roller,  Garden 351 

Spade,  Ames'  First  Quality. ..  346 
Wagon,  Market 353 

Laying  Out  of  Garden 24 

Location  of  Garden 23 

Manures  (See  also  Fertilizers)  33 

Alternation  of 35 

Ashes,  Wood 43 

BoneDust C5 

Comparative  Value  of 36 

Cotton-seed  Meal 42 

Gas  Lime  .  -  42 


INDEX. 


371 


Manures,  Green  Crops  as 37 

Peruvian  Guano  . . -     34 

Preparing  Guano,  Etc 38 

Hops,  iiefuse 33 

Horn  Shavings.. 34 

Horse 33 

Lime 42 

Marl 42 

Muck 40 

Night  Soil .-    35 

Plaster-- 43 

Poudrette ---    40 

Salt  as 40 

Sugar-house  Scum 34. 

Whalebone,  Refuse 34 

Men  Suited  to  G  ardening 13 

Monthly  Calendar,  January  ..  358 

February 360 

March '. 360 

April 362 

May 362 

June 363 

July 364 

August 365 

September 366 

October 367 

November 367 

December 369 

Number  of  Plants  to  an  Acre.  113 
Plants  for  Frames,  When  to 

Sow 44 

Plants  propagated  from  Cut- 
tings, Do  they  Vary  ?. _  273 

Profits  of  Gardening 20 

Rosebuds,  Boston 273 

Rosebuds,  Madison 273 

Seeds  and  Seed  Raising 89 

Cabbage  become  Annual.  105 
California,  Seed  Growing 

in '-    91 

Celery,  Success  in  Sowing     &4 

Failing  to  Germinate 94 

Feet,  Use  of,  in  Sowing  ..    93 
"Firming"  the  Soil  over 

Seeds   98 

How,  When  and  Where  to 

Sow 103 

Indiscriminate  Sowing  ...  103 
Quantity  to  Sow  an  Acre  .  Ill 
Quantity  for  a  Given  Num- 
ber of  Plants 113 

Soaking  of 95 

Soil  for  Sowing 107 

Sown  in  Dry  Weather  . . .       94 

Testing 89 

Vitality  of,  Duration  of  .  -     92 
Wrongly  Blaming  the 

Seedsmen 104 

Situation  of  Garden 24 


SMALL  FRUITS. 

Blackberries 334 

Culture  of 325 

Kittatinuy 336 

Lawton  386 

Wilson's  Early. 336 

Currants.. o39 

Black   339 

Cherry 339 

Fay 339 

Red  Dutch 339 

White  Dutch 339 

Gooseberries 339 

Downing 340 

Houghton 340 

Grapes.. 340 

Age  of  Vines 340 

Planting   343 

Brighton -  343 

Champion 343 

Concord 344 

Martha 343 

Moore's  Early 343 

Niagara.. 343 

Salem 343 

Wilder 343 

Raspberries 336 

Covering  in  Winter 333 

Brinkle's  Orange 337 

Caroline---.,-.. ..--  337 

Cuthbert 337 

Gregg  (Black-cap) 337 

Hansell 337 

Hudson  River  Antwerp . . .  337 

Strawberries,  Forcing 81 

Forcing,  Kinds  for 83 

Layering  in  Pots 327 

Open  Culture 325 

Strawberries,  Varieties  of 328 

Bidwe.ll  332 

Crescent  333 

Crimson  Cluster 329 

Downing 332 

Henderson  328 

Hoffman 332 

Jersey  Queen 333 

Jewell 333 

Parry 333 

Sharpless 832 

Wilson 333 

Soil,  Preparation  of 31 

Resting  the 110 

Selection  of 25 

"Sports". 273 

Southern  States,  When  to  Sow 

and  Plant  in 311 

Asparagus 311 

Beans  ..  ..311 


372 


GARDENING-  FOR   PROFIT. 


Beets -- -  312 

Cabbage 312 

Cauliflower  - —  312 

Celery 312 

Collards 313 

Cora --  313 

Cucumbers 313 

Egg  Plant  .-- 313 

Greens,  German 314 

Lettuce 314 

Melon,  Musk  and  Water. .  313 

Okra  or  Gumbo 314 

Onion 314 

Peas 314 

Potato,  White 314 

Potato,  Sweet 314 

Radish 314 

Rhubarb  315 

Turnips 315 

Spinach -  -  -  315 

Squash 315 

Tomato-. 315 

Transplanting 114 

Variation  in  Plants 273 

Vegetables,  Hardy 107 

Vegetables,  Tender 107 

Vegetable  Plants, How  to  Plant  115 
Vegetable  Plants,  How  Much 

Cold  Will  They  Endure  ....  116 
Varieties  of  Vegetables— Too 
many.. 117 

VEGETABLES,  VARIETIES  OF  : 

Artichoke. 129 

Chard 128 

Common  Green 129 

Green  Globe 129 

Artichoke,  Jerusalem 130 

Varieties 130 

Asparagus 118 

At  the  South 124 

Beetle ---  127 

Buncher . 126 

Fertilizers  for 125 

Gathering  the  Crop 126 

Planting 119 

Profits  of 127 

Propagation 118 

Salt  for - -  125 

Van  Siclen's  Method 120 

Without  Transplanting..-  122 

Asparagus,  Varieties  of 120 

Colossal 120 

Giant 128 

Palmetto -  124 

Balm .-.-  131 

Basil 131 

Bush --..  131 

Sweet...  131 


Beans,  Bush,  Kidney  and  Pole  131 

Beans,  Dwarf  Varieties -  133 

Earliest  Red  Valentine  .. -  133 

Early  Red  Valentine Io4 

Early  Mohawk 134 

Gallega 134 

Large  Refugee 134 

Long  Yellow  Six-Weeks..  134 

Refugee J34 

Thousand  to  One 134 

White  Marrowfat 134 

Beans,  Running  or  Pole 135 

Lima,  Dreer's  Improved--  130 
Jersey  Extra  Early-  - .  136 

Large  White 136 

Giant  Wax 137 

German  Wax 137 

Horticultural 137 

Scarlet  Runn  er 136 

Speckled  Cranberry 137 

Beans,  Wax,  Black 134 

Flageolet 135 

Golden _  _ 135 

Beet 138 

Bastiau's  Blood  Turnip . . .  141 
Dewing's  Improved  Blood 

Turnip 141 

Early  Blood  Turnip 141 

Eclipse 140 

Egyptian  Turnip  _ ,. 140 

Long  Smooth  Blood 141 

Swiss  Chard 141 

Borecole,  or  Kale 142 

Dwarf  German  Greens 142 

Dwarf    Green   Curled 

Scotch  143 

Purple 143 

Siberian  Dwarf  Curled  . . ..  142 

Sprouts   142 

Very  Early  Dwarf 143 

Broccoli 144 

Early  Walcheren 145 

Purple  Cape 145 

White  Cape 145 

Brussels  Sprouts 145 

Cabbage  and  Cauliflower 146 

Aphis 155 

Black  Flea _  155 

Butterfly 155 

Caterpillar 155 

Club-root  in 157 

Green  Fly  on 155 

Insects 155 

In  Southern  States 151 

"  Jumping  Jack  " 155 

Keeping  in  Winter -  154 

Kinds  for  Early  Crop 148 

Late,  Culture  of. 152 

Louse 155 


INDEX. 


373 


Cabbage,  Maggot 156 

Plants,  What  Cold  They 

will  Endure 1  149 

Seed  161 

Slug   155 

Soil  and  Manures 147 

Wire  Worm 156 

Cabbages,  Early 162 

Early  Flat  Dutch 165 

Early  Jersey  Wakefield---  162 

Early  Winningstadt 165 

Henderson's    Early   Sum- 
mer  164 

Premier. 164 

Cabbages,  Late 165 

American  Drumhead   Sa- 
voy   166 

Felder  Kraut 166 

Fottler's  Improved  Bruns- 
wick  165 

Mammoth  Rock  Red 167 

Marblehead  Mammoth  -..  166 

Red  Dutch 167 

Selected  Late  Flat  Dutch.  165 

Turnip-rooted 212 

Cardoon 169 

Carrot 170 

Danvers 172 

Early  French  Forcing 171 

Early    Half-long     Scarlet 

Carentan 172 

Early    Half-long     Scarlet 

(Pointed  Rooted) 172 

IlalT-long     Red     (Stump 

Rooted). 171 

Large  White  Belgian 173 

Long  Orange,  Improved-.  172 

Yellow  Belgian 173 

Cauliflower ...  167 

Extra  Early  Dwarf  Erfurt  169 

Extra  Early  Paris 169 

Half  Early  Paris 169 

Henderson's  Early  Snow- 
ball  167 

Large  Late  Algiers 169 

Le    Normand's     Short- 

stemmed I 169 

Nonpareil 169 

Celery 174 

Close  Planting 179 

Dwarf  Kinds  Preferred...  179 

Earthing  up 178 

"Handling"  178 

Planting  Out 176 

Profits  of 184 

Rust  on-... 180 

Shipping  of 184 

Sowing  the  Seed 174 

Storing  for  Winter 180 


Celery,  Storing  in  Trenches. ..  180 
In  Cellars 182 

Celery,  Varieties  of 185 

Boston  Market 188 

Giant  White  Solid 189 

Henderson's    Golden 

Dwarf 185 

Henderson's  Half-Dwarf  .  187 

Henderson's  Rose... 189 

Major  Clark's  Pink 190 

Sandringham 188 

Turnip-rooted 1...  190 

White  Plume 186 

Celeriac 190 

Dwarf  Apple-shaped 190 

Chervil,  Turnip-rooted 173 

Chives   191 

j  Collards  (Southern) ;...  195 

I  Corn  Salad 191 

!  Corn,  Sweet 195 

Planting 196 

Profitable  Crop  of 196 

Com.  Sweet,  Varieties  of 197 

Cory 197 

Crosby's  Early  Sugar 1 97 

•      Early  Marblehead 197 

Early  Minnesota 197 

Egyptian 198 

Henderson 197 

Mammoth  Sugar 198* 

S  quantum  Sugar 197 

Stowell's  Evergreen 198 

Cress .. 193 

Upland 194 

Water 192 

Profits  of 194 

Cucumbers 199 

How  to  Plant 199 

The  Pickle  Crop 201 

Cucumbers,  Varieties  of.. 201 

Burr  203 

Early  Cluster 202 

Early  Russian 202 

Green  Prolific 203 

Improved  White  Spine  ...  201 
Nichols'  Medium  Green  . .  202 

Egg  Plant 203 

^BlackPekin 206 

Long  Purple 206 

New  York  Improved 205 

White-fruited  206 

Endive 206 

Broad-leaved  Batavian  ...  208 

Green  Curled 207 

Moss  Curled 207 

Fetticus --.- 191 

Gallic 208 

Gherkin,  West  India 203 

Greens,  Dwarf  German-. 142 


374 


GARDENING    FOR    PROFIT. 


Gumbo 241 

Horseradish 208 

The  Sets 309 

Planting 209 

Profits  of 212 

In:lian  Cress 240 

Jerusalem  Artichoke 130 

Kale  or  Borecole 142,  291 

Kohlrabi.. 212 

Early  White  V  iemia 213 

Early  PurDle  Vienna 213 

Leek 213 

London  Flag 214 

Musselburgh 214 

Lettuce ......  214 

Forcing  in  Hot-beds  - 55 

New    York     "Salad 

Patches" ; 216 

Profits  of 217 

All  the  Year  Round 222 

Lettuce,  Varieties  ol 219 

Black-seeded  Simpson 220 

Black-seeded  Tennis  Ball.  220 

Boston  Market 221 

Early  Curled  Simpson 219 

Large  White  Summer  Cab- 
bage  221 

New'York 221 

Paris  White  Cos 222 

Salamander £21 

White-seeded  Tennis  Ball  221 
Yello w-seeded  Butter  ....  221 

Marjoram  308 

Marjoram,  Sweet... 223 

Martynia 234 

Melon,  Musk 223 

Culture  of 224 

Profit  of 224 

Soil  for 225 

Insects  Injurious  to 226 

Melon,  Musk,  Varieties  of 227 

Baltimore.... 228 

Early  Hacken  sack 227 

Golden  Netted  Gem 228 

Green  Citron 230 

Hackensack 228 

Montreal  Market 229 

Melon,  Water 230 

Profits  of 230 

Melon,  Water,  Varieties  of  ...  231 

Black  Spanish 232 

Citron 203 

Gypsy .-  231 

Ice  Cream 231 

Icing.... 232 

Ice  Kind... 232 

Kolb's  Gem 231 

Mammoth  Iron-clad 231 

Mountain  Sweet...          ..  231 


Melon,  Water,  Rattlesnake...  231 

Phinney 's  Early 231 

Scaly  Bark 232 

Mint 233 

Mushroom   234 

Making  the  Bed 336 

Making  the  Spawn 230 

Preparing  Manure  for 236 

Spawning  the  Bed -  236 

Mustard 234 

Black.... 234 

White. 284 

Nastuitium 240 

Dwarf 240 

Tall 240 

New  Zealand  Spinach 290 

Okra 241 

Onions-... •__•___  241 

Harvesting 249 

Insects  Injurious  to 249 

Farm  Crop,  As  a 243 

Profits  of -  250 

Manures  for 245 

Planting.. 242 

Preparing  the  Giound 246 

Profits  of 243 

Sowing  the  Seed 247 

Sowing  in  Fall 243 

Sets -  243 

Storing  the  Crop 249 

Weeding  the  Crop !247 

Onions,  Varieties  of... 251 

Bermuda 252 

Extra  Early  Flat  Red 252 

Giant  Rocca 253 

Large  Red  Wethersfi  eld.  _  251 
Large  Red  Italian  Tripoli.  254 
LargeWhite  Italian  Tripoli  245 

Neopolitan  Marzajola 253 

Queen 253 

Southport   Large    Yellow 

Globe --  251 

Southport  Red  Globe 252 

Southport  White  Globe  ..  252 

Silver-skin 253 

White  Portugal 253 

Yellow  Dutch--.. 253 

Yellow  Globe  Danvers. ...  251 

Onions,  Potato 254 

Onions,  Top 254 

Orach 291 

Oyster  Plant 282 

Parsley,  in  Winter 255 

Pai  sley,  Varieties  of 256 

Double  Curled 256 

Fern-leaved 256 

Hamburgh  257 

Henderson's  Emerald 256 

Plain  ..  ..257 


TNTDEX. 


375 


Parsley,  Turnip-rooted 257 

Parsnip    '..  357 

Early  Round. 258 

Hollow-crowned 258 

The  Student 258 

Pea,  Varieties  of : .  258 

Alaska 261 

American  Wonder 261 

Black-eyed  Marrowfat 264 

Bliss' Abundance 263 

Bliss'  Everbearing 263 

Champion  of  England 263 

First  of  All 260 

Improved  Dan'l  O'PvOurke  261 

Kentish  Invicta 261 

McLean's  Advancer 261 

Premium  Gem 261 

Stratagem 263 

Pride  of  the  Market 264 

Telephone 263 

Yorkshire  Hero 263 

White  Marrowfat 264 

Pepper,  Varieties  of 264 

Bull  Nose 264 

Cranberry •„ 265 

Golden  Dawn.. 265 

Large  Bell 264 

Long  Red  Cayenne 265 

Mammoth 264 

Ruby  King 265 

Squash 265 

Sweet  Mountain 264 

Tomato-shaped 265 

Pepper  Grass 193 

Potato 265 

Diseases  of 266 

Colorado  Beetle 266 

Tubers,  Cut  or  Whole. ...  270 

Potatoes,  Varieties  of 267 

Beauty  of  Hebron 267 

Clark's  No.  1 269 

Early  Rose... 267 

Empire  State 268 

Pearl  of  Savoy 267 

Perfect  Peach  Blow 269 

Rochester  Favorite 269 

Rural  Blush 269 

St.  Patrick 269 

Triumph 269 

Vanguard 267 

White  Elephant 268 

Potato  Onions 254 

Pumpkin 274 

Radish  as  a  Succession  Crop..  275 

Forcing 77 

Radish,  Varieties  of 275 

Beckert's  Chartier 276 

Chinese    Rose-colored, 
Winter 278 


Radish,  Early  Round  Dark  Red  276 

French  Breakfast 277 

Gray  Summer  Turnip 278 

Long  Black  Spanish 278 

Long  Scarlet  Short-top. ..  275 

Olive-shaped 278 

Red  Forcing  Turnip 27  9 

Round  Black  Spanish  ....  278 
White-tipped  Scarlet  Tur- 
nip  277 

Yellow  Summer  Turnip  . .  278 

Rhubarb   278 

Forcing 279 

Linnaeus 281 

St.  Martins 281 

Victoria 281 

RutaBaga 307 

Sage  ..." 308 

Salsify 282 

Salsify,  Black 283 

Savory,  Summer 308 

Scorzonera 283 

Sea  Kale 283 

Blanching 284 

Shallots 285 

Sorrel 285 

Spinach 286 

Profits  of 287 

Spinach,  Varieties  of 289 

Large  Round  Leaf  Viroflay  290 

Long  Standing 290 

Norfolk  Savoy-leaved 289 

Prickly 290 

Round  Leaf 290 

Thick-leaved 290 

Spinach,  New  Zealand 290 

Spinach,  Substitutes  for 290 

Sprouts 142,  291 

Squash,  Summer  Varieties 291 

Boston  Marrow 293 

Bush  Crookneck 293 

Yellow  and  White 

Bush  Scalloped 2G2 

Fall  and  Winter  \aricties: 

Essex  Hybrid 293 

Hubbard 293 

Mammoth  Chili 294 

Marblehead  294 

Vegetable  Marrow  .  _ .  294 
Winter  Crookneck...  294 

Summer  Savory 308 

Swedes  or  Swedish  Turnips..-  307 

Sweet  Herbs   308 

Sweet  M  arjoram .223,  308 

Sweet  Potato 295 

Starting  the  Plants 297 

Sets  or  Draws. 296 

Nansemond 297 

Red  Skinned 297 


376 


GARDENING   FOR    PROFIT. 


Sweet  Potato,  Yellow  Skinned.  297 

Swiss  Chard  (See  Beet) 141 

Thyme  308 

Tomato  298 

Earlinessin   300 

Profits  of 299 

Saving  Seeds  of 300 

Tomato,  Varieties  of 301 

Acme 301 

Canada  Victor 303 

General  Grant 303 

Hathaway 's  Excelsior  ....  303 

Mikado  301 

Paragon 301 

Perfection 303 

Plum,  Bed  and  Yellow  ...  303 


Tomato,  Trophy 303 

Top  Onions 254 

Turnip,  Varieties  of 304 

Amber  Globe 306 

Extra  Early  Milan 306 

Golden  Bail 306 

Purple-top  Strap-leaf 306 

Purple-top  White  Globe.-  306 

Red-top  Strap-leaf 306 

Seven-top 307 

Snowball 306 

Snow-white  307 

Turnip,  Ruta  Baga  Kinds  ....  307 

Improved  American 307 

Large  White  French 308 

Shamrock 308 


ALPHABETICAL  CATALOGUE 

0.  Judd  Co,,  David  W.  Judd,  Pres't, 

""*   \    .    >  PUBLISHERS  AND  IMPORTERS  OF  S^=T-\    y0 

All  Works  pertaining  to  Rural  Life. 

'T'Sl  ZBroa,d.-^ra,3r,  USTe-w  "STorls. 


Agriculture,  Horticulture,  Etc. 


Allen,  R.  L.  and   L.  F.    New  American  Farm  Book ...$  2.50 

American  Farmer's  Hand  Book  2.50 

Asparagus  Culture.    Flex,  cloth so 

Bamford,C.  E.     Silk  Culture.     Taper 30 

Barry,  P.     The  Fruit  Garden.    New  and  Revised  Edition 2.00 

Bom  mer.    Method  of  Making  Manures  25 

Brackett.    Farm  T;ilk.     Paper  50c.    Cloth 75 

Brill.    Farm-Garden i i) y  and  Seed-Growing 1.00 

Cauliflowers 20 

Broom-Corn  and  Brooms.    P<MX' 50 

Curtis  on  Wheat  Culture.    P^pe' so 

Emerson  and  Flint.    Manual  of  Agriculture 1.50 

Farm  Conveniences J.so 

Farming  for  Boys 

Farming  for  Profit 3.75 

FitZ.     Sweet  Potato  Culture.     New  and  Enlarged  Edition.     Cloth. (iO 

Flax  Culture.    Paper so 

French.     Farm  Drainage 1.50 

Fuller,  A.  S.    Practical  Forestry 1.50 

Gregory.    On  Cabbages 30 

On  Carrots,  Mangold  Win tzels,  etc... 30 

On  Fertilizers 40 

On  Onion  Raising 30 

On  Squashes 30 


2      0.  JUDD  CO.'S  ALPHABETICAL  CATALOGUE. 

Harlan.    Farming  witli  Green  Manures 1.00 

Harris.    Insects  Injurious  to  Vegetation.   Plain  $4.  Col'd  Engraviuga.  650 

Harris,  Joseph.     Gardening  for  Young  and  Old 1.25 

Talks  on  Manures.    New  and  Revised  Edition. ..  1.75 

Henderson,  Peter.     Gardening  for  Pleasure 1.50 

Gardening  for  Profit..    New  and  Enlarged  Edition.    2.00 

Garden  and  Farm  Topics 1.50 

Henderson  &  Crozier.    How  the  Farm  Pays 2.50 

Hop  Culture.     New  and  Revised  Edition.     Paper 33 

Johnston.    Agricultural  Chemistry 1.7."< 

Johnson,  M.  W.     How  to  Plant.    Paper 50 

Johnson,  Prof.  S.  W.     How  Crops  Feed  2.00 

How  Crops  Grow 2.00 

Jones,   B.  W.     The  Peanut  Plant,     Paper 50 

Lawn  Planting.    Paper 25 

Leland.     Farm  Homes,  In-Doors.  and  Ont-Doors.     New  Edition 1.50 

Long,   EMas  A.     Ornamental  Gardening  for  Americans 2.00 

Morton.    Fanner's  Calendar ..     5.00 

Nichols.     Chemistry  of  Farm  and  Sea 1.25 

Norton.    Elements  of  Scientific  Agriculture 75 

Oemler.     Truck-Farming  at  the  South 1.50 

Onions.     How  to  Raise  them  Profitably 20 

Our  Farm  of  Four  Acres.    Pip.r 30 

Pabor,  E.     Colorado  as  an  Agricultural  State 1.50 

Pedder.    Land  Measurer  lor  Fanners.    Cloth 60 

Plant  Life  on  the  Farm 1  oo 

Quinn.     Money  in  the  Garden    1.50 

Register  of  Rural  Affairs.    9  vois.    Each 1.50 

Riley.     Potato  Pests.     Paper 50 

Robinson.    Facts  for  Farmers 5.00 

Roe.     Play  and  Profit  in  my  Garden 150 

Roosevelt.    Five  Acres  Too  Much 1.50 

SilOS  and   Ensilage-     New  and  Enlarged  Edition ..  .50 

Starr.    Farm  Echoes 1.00 

Stewart.     Irrigation  for  the  Farm,  Garden  and  Orchard 1.50 

Ten  Acres  Enough i.oo 

The  Illustrated  Dictionary  of  Gardening.    Vol.  i    ..    5.00 
The  Soil  of  the  Farm i.co 

Thomas.    Farm  Implements  and  Machinery 1.50 

Tim  Bunker  Papers;  or,  Yankee  Farming                   i.so 
Tobacco  Culture.    Paper 25 

Treat.    Injurious  Insects  of  the  Farm  and  Garden 2.00 

Villes.     School  of  Chemical  Manures 1.25 

High  Farming  without  Manures 25 

Artificial  Manures 6.00 

Waring.    Book  of  the  Farm 2.00 

Draining  for  Profit  and  Health.       .  1.50 

Elements  of  Agriculture 1.00 

Farmers'  Vacation 300 

Sanitary  Drainage  of  Houses  and  Towns 2.00 

-    Sanitary  Condition  in  City  and  Country  Dwelling-* 50 

Was-ington.     Chemistry  of  the  Farm 1.00 

White.    Gardening  for  the  South  2.00 


JTTDD  CO/S  ALPHABETICAL  CATALOGUE. 


FRUITS,    FLOWERS,    ETC* 

/\  merican  Rose  Culturist so 

American  Weeds  and  Useful  Plants 1.75 

BouSSingault.     Rural  Economy l.(iO 

ChOrltOn.     Grape-Grower's  Guide 75 

Collier,  Peter.     Sorulmin,  its  Culture  and  Manul;u-t;ire- 3,00 

Common  Sea  Weeds.    Boards 50 

Downing.    Fruits  «ud  Fruit  Trues  of  America.     New  Edition 5.00 

Rural  Essays 3.00 

Elliott.     Hand  Book  for  Fruit-Growers.     Paper  (>0c.     Cloih 1.00 

Every  Woman  her  own  Flower  Gardener i.oo 

Fern  Book  for  Everybody so 

Fuller,  A.  S.     Grape  Ciiliurist 1.50 

illustrated  Strawberry  Culturist -20 

Small  Fruit  Cult urist.    New  Ecli lion. 1.50 

FuStOn.     Peach  Culture.     New  and  Revised  Edition 1.50 

Heiinrich.     VVindow  Flower  Garden 75 

Henderson,  Peter.   Hand  Book  or  Plants 3.00 

Practical  Floriculture 1.50 

Hibberd,  Shirley.    The  Amateur's  Flower  Garden   2.50 

The  Amateur's  Greenhouse  and  Conservatory.  2  50 

The  Amateur's  Rose  Book 2.50 

HoopeS.     Book  of  Evergreens 3.00 

Husmann,Prof.Ceo.  American  Grape  growing  and  Wine  Making  1.50 

Johnson.     Winter  Greeneries  at  Home 1.00 

Moore,   Rev.  J.  W.     Oran-e  Culture 1.00 

My  Vineyard  at  Lakeview 1.25 

Origin  of  Cultivated  Plants  ." 1.75 

ParSOn3.     OntheRose 1.50 

QuJjnn.     Pear  Culture  for  Profit.     New  and  Revised  Edition 1.00 

Rivers.     Miniature  Fruit  Garden 1.00 

Rixford.     Wine  Press  and  Cellar  1.50 

Robinson.    Ferns  in  their  Homes  an;l  Ours 1.50 

Roe.     Success  with  Small  Fruits 5.00 

SaililderS.     Insects  Injurious  to  Fruits .' 3.00 

Sheehan,  JaS.     Your  Plants.     Paper 40 

Stewart.     Soruh'-m  and  Its  Products , 1.50 

Thomas.    American  Fruit  Culturist 2.00 

Vick.     Flower  and  Vegetable  Garden.     Cloth i.oo 

Warder.     Hedges  and  Evergreens  1.50 

Webb,  JaS.     CM pe  Cod  Cranberries.     Paper 40 

White.     Cranberry  Culture r , 1.25 

Williams.   B.  S.     Orchid  Grower's  Manual G.50 

Wood,  Samuel.    Modem  Window  Gardening... 1.25 


O.    JUDD   CO. *S   ALPHABETICAL   CATALOGUE. 


Cattle,  Dogs,  Horses,  Sheep,  Swine,  Poultry,  Etc. 


CATTLE:,  SHEEP, 

Allen,   L.   F.     American  Cattle.    New  and  Revised  Edition  ...........  2.50 

Armatage,  Prof.  Ceo.    Every  Man  His  Own  Cattle  Doctor.    8vo..  7.50 

Armsby.    Manual  of  Cattle  Feeding  ..........................  ......  2.50 

Cattle.     The  Varieties,  Breeding,  and  Management.  ..    ................  75 

Coburn,  F.  D.     Swine  Husbandry.    New  and  Revised  Edition  ......  1.75 

Clok.     Diseases  of  Sheep  .......    .............................  .......  1.25 

Dadd,   Prof.  CeO.   H.     American  Cattle  Doctor.    12mo  ............  1.50 

American  Cattle  Doctor.     8vo.     Cloth  ......  2.50 

Fleming.     Veterinary  Obstetrics  ...............................  0.00 

Cuenon.     OnMilchCows  ............  ...........................  i.oo 

Harris,  Joseph.    OnjhePig  .........................  ...........  i  so 

JenniRgS.     OnCntlle  and  their  Diseases  ..........................  125 

On  Sheep,  Swine,  and  Poultry,  ........................  1.25 

Jersey,  Alderney,  and  Guernsey  Cow  .................  i.5» 

Keeping  One  Cow  ............................................  i.oo 

Macdonald.    Pood  from  the  Far  West  ..........................  .  i.so 

McClure.     Disease.*  of  the  American  Horse,  Cattle,  and  Sheep  ........  2.00 

McCombie,  Wm.     Cattle  and  C.-itlle  Breeders  ...................  1.50 

Martin,  R.  B.     Hog-lliiding  and  Pork-Making  ...................  40 

Miles.    Stock  Breeding  ...........................    ..............  1.50 

Powers,  Stephen.     The  American  Merino  for  Wool  and  Mutton. 

A  practicil  and  valuable  work.  .   ..................................  1.75 

Quincy,  Hon.  jQSiah.     On  Soilin-  Cattle  ......................  1.25 

Randall.    Fine  Wool  Sheep  Husbandry  ..............................  1.00 

----      Practical  Shepherd  .....................................  ..  2.00 

Sheep  Husbandry  ......................................  1.50 

Reasor.    omheHoj:  .......................  ..................  ........  1.50 

Sidney.    Ou'.hePig  ................................................  so 

Shepherd,   Major  W.     Prairie  Experience  in  Handling  Cattle...  1.00 

Stewart,  Henry.     Shepherd's  Manual.  New  and  Enlarged  Edition.  1.50 

Stewart,   E.  W.     Feeding  Animals  ........  .................   .....  2.00 

The  Sheep.     Its  Varieties  and  Management.    Boards  ............  .75 

Youatt  and  Martin.    On  the  Hog  ...........................  i.oo 

Youatt.     On  Shwep  .........................................  1.00 

ifeOGS,    ETC. 

BurgeSS.     American  Kennel  and  Sporting  Field.     8vo  ...............  3.00 

Dog-The  Varieties  and  Management  .................  so 

Dogs  of  Great  Britain,  America,  and  Other  Coun- 

tries, Compiled  from  Stonehonge  and  other  Standard  Writers.  The 

most  Complete  Work  ever  Published  on  the  Dos:.     12mo  ...........  2.00 

Forester,  F.    The  D°£r,  by  Dinks,  Mayliew,  and  Hntchinson.    Svo  .  ,  .  3.00 
Floyd,  Wm.    Hints  on  Dog  Breaking.    12mo  .......  .  .................  50 


0.    JUDD   CO.  S   ALPHABETICAL   CATALOGUE.  5 

HallOCk,  C.    Dog  Fanciers' Directory  and  Medical  Guid;'.     18  no 25 

Hammond,  S.    Do-Training     12.no 1.00 

Hilly  J.  W.     Management  and  Diseases  of  the  Dog.    12mo 2.00 

Hooper,  J.  J.     Dog  and  Gun.     Paper.... .  .30 

Hutchinson,  C.  N.    Do- Breaking.    8vo 3.00 

Bdstone.     The  Dog.    Illustrated.     12ino 1.25 

Laverack,  E.    Tiie  Setter.    4to 3.00 

May  hew,  E.    Dogs  ;  Their  Management.    IGnio 75 

Points  for  Judging   Different  Varieties  of  Dogs. 

Paper    50 

Richardson.     Dogs;  Their  Origin  and  Varieties.    Pap  r  3()c.     Cloth  .r,0 

Shaw,  T.  VerO.    Illustrated  Book  of  the  Dog.    4to 8.00 

Stables,  Cordon.     Our  Friend  the  Dog.    Svo 3.00 

Practical  Kennel  Guide . ...  1.50 

Ladies'  Dogs  as  Companions 2.00 

Stonehenge.     The  Dog  in  Health  and  Disease.    8vo 3.00 

Dops  of  the  British  Islands.    Svo 6.0'J 

The  Greyhound 5.50 

Youatt.     OntheDog.     Svo 2.50 


HORSES,    ieiB>l\<«,    ETC. 

Anderson,  E.  L.  Modern  Horsemanship.  Svo  7.00 

The  Gallop.  4to.  Paper 1.00 

Armatage,  Ceo.  Every  Man  His  Own  Horse  Doctor,  together  with 

Elaine's  Veterinary  Art.  Svo.  $  morocco 7.50 

Armatage.  Ceo.  Horse  Owner  and  Stableman's  Companion.  12mo  1.50 
Battersby,  Col.  J.  C.  The  Bridle  Bits.  A  valuable  litile  work 

on  horsemanship.  Fully  illustrated.  12mo 1.00 

BaUCher,  F.  New  Method  of  Horsemanship.  12mo .  1.00 

Bruce.  Stud-Book.  4  vols 35.00 

Chawner,  R.  Diseases  of  the  Horse  and  Ho\v  to  Treat  Them.  12mo  1.-5 

Chester.  Complete  Trotting  and  Pacing  Record  10.00 

Dadd,  C.  H.  American  Reformed  Horse  Book.  Svo 2.50 

Modern  Horse  Doctor.  12mo 1.50 

Day,  W.  The  Race  Horse  in  Training.  Svo * (J.25 

Du  HayS  C.  Perch oron  Horse.  New  and  Revised  Edition.  12mo..  1.00 

Durant.  'Horseback  Riding 1.25 

Famous  Horses  of  America,    cioth.   4to i.so 

Cleason,  O.   R.     How  to  Handle  and  Educate  Vicious  Horses 1.00 

Going,  J.  A.     Veterinary  Dictionary.     12mo 2.09 

Herbert,   H.  W.     Hints  to  Horse  Keepers.     12mo 1.75 

Helm,   H.  T.    American  Roadsters  and  Trotting  Horses.    Svo 5.00 

Horse,  The;   Its  Varieties  and  Management.    Boards 75 

Howden,   P.     How  to  Buy  and  Soil  the  Horse.    12mo 1.00 

Jennings,   R.     Horse  Training  Made  Easy.     16mo 1.25 

The  Horse  and  His  Diseases.    12:no 1.25 

Law,  J.    Veterinary  Adviser.    Svo 3.00 

Liautard.     Chart  of  Age  of  Domestic  Animals 50 

Animal  Castration.     I2mo 2.00 

Manning.    The  Illustrated  Stock  Doctor 5.00 


6  0.    JUDD   CO/S   ALPHABETICAL   CATALOGUE. 

May  hew,  E.     Illustrated  Horse  Management.    8vo 3.00 

"          Hoi>e  Doctor.    8vo 3.0(1 

McClure,   R.     Disi-ases  of  American  Horses.     12mo 2.00 

American  Gentleman's  Stable  Guide.     12mo  1.00 

Miles,  W.     On  the  Homo's  Foot.     12mo 75 

Rarey,    Horse  Tamer  and  Farrier.     IGmo 50 

Riding  and  Driving 20 

RNey,  H.  On  th<>  Mrile.  I2mo 1.50 

Russell.  Scientific  Horse-Shoeing 1.00 

Saddle  Horse,  The.  Oottq»l«te  Giiido  to  Riding  and  Tmftiiug i.oo 

Saunders.  Horse  Breeding.  12mo 2.00 

Stewart,  R.  American  Farmer's  Horse  Book.  8vo 300 

StOnehenge.  Even Horse  Owner's  Cyclopaedia.  8vo 3.75 

On  the  Horse  in  the  Stable  and  the  Field.  English 

Edition.  8vo 3.50 

On  the  Horse  in  the  Stable  and  the  Field.  American 

Edition.  12mo 2.00 

Teller.  Diseases  of  Live  Stock.  C|oth,  2.50;  Sheep 300 

Wallace.  American  Stud  Book.  Per  vol 10.00 

Williams.  Veterinary  Medicine 5.00 

Veterinary  Surgery 7.50 

Woodruff.  The  Trotting  Horse  in  Aim  rica.  12mo 2.50 

Woods,  Rev.  J.  G.  Horse  and  Man 2.50 

Youatt  &  Skinner.    The  Horse.   8vo 1.75 

Youatt  &,  Spooner.  121110 1.50 

POULTRY  A:\I>  BB;ES. 

Bumham.    New  Poultry  Book 1.50 

Cook,   Prof.  A.  J.     Bee-Keeper's  Guideor Manual  of  the  Apiary 1.25 

Cooper,   Dr.  J.  W.     Game  Fowls 5.00 

Corbett.     Poultry  Yard  and  Market.    Paper 50 

Felch,   I.   K.     Poultry  Culture.. 1.50 

Halsted.    Artificial  Incubal ion  and  Incubators.    Paper 75 

Johnson,  C.  M.S.    Practical  Ponltry  Keeper.    Riper 50 

King.    Bee-Keeper's  Text  Book 1.00 

LangStroth.     On  the  Honey  and  Hive  Bee 2.00 

Poultry.    Breeding,  Rearing,  Feeding  etc.    Boards 50 

Profits  in  Poultry  and  their  Profitable  Manage- 
ment.   Most  complete  Work  extant ?....    1.00 

Quinby.     Mysteries  ofBee-Keeping  Explained  (Edited  by  L.  U.  Root).     1.50 

Rer, wick.     Thermostatic  Incubator.    Paper  36c.     CioMi 50 

Root,  A.  I.     A,  B.  C,  of  Bee-Culture 1.25 

Standard  Excellence  in  Poultry i.oo 

StOddard.     An  Eors-Farm.    Revised  and  Enlarged 50 

Wright.     Illustrated  Book  of  Poultry 8.00 

Practical  Poultry-Keeper .   . ,.     2.00 

Practical  Pigeon  Keeper 1.50 


0.    JUDD   CO.'S   ALPHABETICAL   CATALOGUE. 


ARCHITECTURE,  ETC. 

Allen,  L.  F.    Rural  Architecture  1.50 

American  Cottages 5.o» 

Ames.    Alphabets 1.50 

AtWOOd.     Country  and  Suburban  Houses 150 

Barn  Plans  and   Out-Buildings i.so 

Bell.     Carpentry  Made  Easy 5.00 

BJCknell.    Cottage  and  Villa  Architecture 400 

Detail  Cottage  and  Constructive  An  h'teciure 6.00 

Modern  Architectural  Designs  and  Details 10.00 

Public  Buildings.     New 2.50 

Street,  Store,  and  Bank  Fronts.    New 2/50 

School-House  and  Church  Architecture 2.50 

Stables,  Out-buildings,  Fences,  etc 2.50 

Brown.  Building,  Table  and  Estimate  Book 1.50 

Bum.  Drawing  Books,  Architectural.  Illlustrated  and  Ornamental. 

8  Vols.  Each 1.00 

Cameron.  Plasterer's  Manual 75 

Camp.  Ho w  Can  I  Learn  Architecture 50 

Copley.  Plain  and  Ornamental  Alphabets  300 

Cottages.  Hints  on  Economical  Building 1.00 

Ctl mm ingS.  Architectural  Details ..  600 

Elliott.  Hand  Book  of  Practical  Landscape  Gar  ieiiing 1.50 

Eveleth.  School-House  Architecture 4.0!) 

Fuller.  Artistic  Homes 8.50 

Cilmore,  Q.  A.  Roads  and  Street  Pavements 2.50 

Could.  American  Stair-Builder's  Guide 2.50 

Carpenter's  and  Builder's  Assista-.it 2.50 

Hodgson.  Steel  Square  1.00 

Holly.  Art  of  Saw  Filing 75 

Harney.  Barns,  Out-Buildings,  and  Fences 4.00 

Hulme.  Mathematical  Drawing  Instruments 1.50 

HuSSey.  Home  Building '.... 2.50 

—  National  Cottage  Architecture * 4.00 

Homes  for  Home  Builders.  Just  Published.  Fully  Illustrated.  i.r>o 

Interiors  and  Interior  Details T.SO 

La  key.    Village  and  Country  Housas 500 

Modern  House  Painting —  s.oo 

Monckton.    National  Carpenter  and  Joiner 500 

National  Stair-Builder 5.00 

Painter,  Gilder,  and  Varnssher's  Companion i.so 

Palliser.    American  Cottage  Homes 3.00 

Model  Homes 1.00 

Useful  Details 2.00 

Plummer.    Carpenters'  and  Builders'  Guide 75 

Powell.     Foundations  and  Foundation  Walls 2.0G 

Reed.     Cottage  Houses 1.25 

House  Plans  for  Everybody 1.50 

Dwelling*...  3.00 


0.    JUDJ)   CO.'S   ALPHABETICAL   CATALOGUE. 


Our  Very  Latest  Publications. 

Through  the  Yellowstone  Park  on  Horseback.    By 

GKN.  (i.  VV.  WINUATB 159 

Fly-Fishing  and  Fly-Making.    B>KKENE 1.50 

How  to   Handle  and   Educate  Vicious  Horses.    By 

O.  R.  GLEASON j  QQ 

The  Law  of  Field  Sports.   By  GEO.  p.  SMITH LOO 

Bridle  Bits.    A  Treailse  oil  Practical  Horsemanship.     By  COL.  J.  C. 

BATTEUSBY. , j  00 

The  Percheron  Horse  in  America  and  France       .    i.oo 

Profits  in   Poultry.     Useful  and  Ornamental  Breeds 1.CO 

Cape  Cod  Cranberries.    By  JAMES  WEBB.    Paper CO 

HOW  to  Plant.    By  M.W  JOHNSON 50 

The  American  Merino  for  Wool  and   Mutton.   By    . 

STEPHEN  POWERS 175 


New  and  Revised  Editions. 

HallOCk.    Sportsman's  Gazetteer 3.00 

Stewart.    Irrigation  Tor  llie  Farm,  Garden  and  Orchard 1.50 

Farm  Implements  and  Machinery.   By  THOMAS 3.50 

Egg  Farm.    By  STODDABD.    Cloth 50 

Play  and  Profit  in  My  Garden J.so 

Silos  and  Ensilage 50 


Send  Postal  for  Complete  Catalogue  of  our  Publications  regarding 
Horses  and  Horsemanship,  Hunting,  Fishing,  and  all  other  Out-Door 
Sports  and  Pastimes. 

0.  JUDD  CO,  DAVID  W.  JTIDD,  Pres't, 

751  BROADWAY    NEW  YORK. 


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FORM  NO.  DD6 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 
BERKELEY,  CA  94720 


®s 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIE 


678995 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


